Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey
by Digital Skitty
Summary: Ree Majors issues a challenge to herself: get eight Unovan badges in under a year. Fifth time's the charm, right? But she's not really cut out for training, not like her boyfriend or her sister, and it's not like she can rely on anyone but herself. And her pokemon, she should probably remember that it's a team effort. So they can go on a wonderful* journey together. (*not at all)
1. Of Failed Tests

"Fuck you!"

Enter Ree Adelaide Majors, trainer of exactly forty-seven minutes, brand new owner of a snivy, lover of foul language, possessor of delusions of grandeur, and general ass.

"Sni!"

Enter Mister Snivy Whiplash, her somewhat imaginatively named starter. She would swear up and down she thought he looked like the villain from her favorite old cartoon. He simply went with it because it made him feel fanciful.

These are the creations of a twisted world, fighting against time and fate and that very same world to achieve eight shiny, senseless little gems. Their goal is not unique, and is in fact shared by most of the training population of Unova—those bright-eyed, idealistic young children, the future of the region. What sets these characters apart is their journey, their strenuous, teary, joyful, heavy, lighthearted, and _fantastic_ journey. It will have ups, it will have downs, it will shed blood, it will shed tears, and very possibly, it will touch your heart.

So, submitted for your consideration, this is

**Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey**

-.-.-**  
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**Chapter One:** Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Failed Tests

-.-.-

"Wake up," a voice above her said. Ree groaned and buried her head deeper into the pillow. She would do no such thing; it was far too early. "Ree, wake up."

"Nngh," she replied. A very dignified response considering her level of consciousness. He should be grateful he got that much.

"I'm making pancakes," he said softly.

"I'm up." She sat up fast enough to not only convince him that she would, indeed, wake up, but also fast enough to make her head spin. Ree yawned and held her head with one hand, fingers tangling themselves in the curled, messy locks. No, not locks—more like mass. She growled, struggled to keep her eyes open, and somehow managed to slide out of bed and make her way out the door. And she only tripped once.

"When did you put clothes on?" She felt more than saw Scott follow her, amusement evident in his voice.

"Had to pee something fierce about four. And I didn't wanna stumble around your house half-naked," she deadpanned.

"Wise move, I'm sure." Not that it stopped him. Scott passed her in the hallway and beat her to the bathroom, coming back out rather helpfully with her hairbrush. He handed it to her, made sure she could hold it properly, and then grabbed her free hand. He helped her down the stairs, guided her to the kitchen table, and sat her down. So pleasant in the mornings.

Ree growled unintelligibly at him as she tried to run her brush through her hair. Easier said than done. On a _good_ day, it was easier said than done. She was rapidly getting the feeling that even if there were pancakes, that day wasn't going to be the best.

"Use your words," Scott sang, flitting around the kitchen, retrieving bowls and a skillet as he did so.

"You're a morning person," Ree repeated grouchily. She used the phrase like a curse.

"Yes, I am. But it's getting you free breakfast, so you shouldn't be complaining."

"What about your mom?" she asked loudly to cover her stomach's growling. Pancakes sounded _amazing_ right then. "Is she, uh, joining us?"

"No, she's doing the whole 'let's pretend my son didn't have a girl sleep over' dance, I think. Or she may have already left for work. Either way, she's thoroughly ignoring us, once again," Scott said with a laugh. He began mixing the batter, whistling as he went, until he heard a _thump_. He whirled around in alarm, but it was only Ree. She'd collapsed onto the table, using one arm as a pillow, the brush still stuck in her bushy hair. "Oh, come on! Wake up, sleepyhead! I'll make them chocolate chip!"

"'m 'wake," she mumbled into her wrist.

"Up!" Scott marched over and pulled her chair out and away from the table, nearly making her fall over altogether. Ree tried to smack him, but he won out in the 'who's more coordinated in the mornings' category. "Do you want the pancakes or not?"

"Give me the fucking pancakes."

"Say please and stay conscious, then."

With tremendous effort, Ree sat upright. She glared at her boyfriend with as much venom as she could manage (it was a minor miracle he didn't burst into flames) and crossed her arms over her chest. "I want food."

"You're such a delight to interact with in the mornings, really you are."

She only felt slightly guilty at that. She knew he didn't mean it—even if it was true. Still, Scott had the patience of a saint. With her, anyway. Ree felt her eyelids start to droop again after several minutes of sulky silence, and decided to offer the olive branch as well as keep herself awake by striking up a neutral conversation. "...Wait, where are your pokémon?"

"Probably still sleeping. They'll be up soon enough, once they smell the food..." Scott stepped away from the stove to check down the hall, just in case. The last thing they needed was an overly excited gigalith prancing around the kitchen. "Mom may have taken Yorick with her to work, if that's where she is..."

"I don't see how you can just let your mom take your pokémon without your knowledge."

"She's my mom. It's not like she's gonna run off with him. And remember, he was originally hers. Kind of," Scott replied simply, shrugging. "Can you get the plates out? And forks?"

Ree made a negative sound, but got up to do as he asked regardless. "Do you want me to get enough for your team?"

"No. If they're hungry, they'll come. Otherwise, I'm not setting the table for them." He hardly set the plate of pancakes on the table and got his hands out of the way before Ree attacked. She was done with one—albeit quite messily—before he'd had the chance to do more than watch in awe.

That was how she began her first day as a pokémon trainer.

-.-.-

Ree left Scott to return to an empty house. Her parents were both at work and her sister, Maya, had left just days ago on a political trip to Sinnoh. She still wasn't used to her absence. It felt like she'd scarcely gotten back from journeying for months on end, only to leave again.

Oh well. It allowed her to sing along to the radio and dance around the house like a madwoman. Two of her favorite pastimes.

After attempting to slide down the staircase banister, she settled for shaking her ass in her own room. Even if she had the house to herself, it was simply habit. "By the way, how much is the—" Ree shrieked as her heel got caught on a jacket sleeve and she was sent sprawling. Her room also happened to be the messiest. "Ow..." She sent a rebellious glare to the radio for continuing on so happily without her. "Stupid thing. Stupid coat."

The jacket said nothing to defend itself.

After her embarrassing tumble and very glad she wasn't seen, Ree decided that she ought to be responsible. Shower, clean clothes, brushed teeth and all that jazz. Another perk of being alone in the house: taking clothes off at random and walking to the bathroom naked. Just because she wouldn't do it at Scott's house didn't mean she wouldn't do it in her own home.

"What are you looking at?" she asked the stuffed heatmor on her bed. Ree chuckled and stuck her tongue out at it.

The radio switched to Vagabond of the Revolution's newest hit, and spill forgotten, she started belting out the lyrics that she knew (not even half) at the top of her lungs once more. She danced her way to the bathroom and turned what was supposed to be indie rock into a stripping song. It was a talent.

She sang all the way through the shower, and then stepped out to find a none-too-pleased liepard sitting on the rug in front of the sink. He stared at Ree with a flat expression, ears pinned back against his skull, tail whipping back and forth behind him. Ree stared innocently back, dripping onto the floor below.

"Can I get my towel?"

"Lie," the feline sniffed and tilted his head back.

"Why thank you, Aubie," Ree exclaimed with her best accent, yanking the towel off the rack with an overly dramatic flourish. The liepard remained unamused. "I'll stop singing now, promise."

"Par," he said with a sharp smile, ears perking up once more. He wagged his tail once behind him, got back up to his feet, and wandered out of the bathroom.

"Everyone's a critic," Ree sighed. She kicked the door shut behind him and began the process of fighting with her hair. It more or less won after time; it was difficult to win against a wet cotton ball. She hummed to herself, keeping in mind her promise to the family pet, and looked down at her toes as she dragged the brush through her hair. The nail polish was chipping, she noted.

She finished brushing through her hair (actually getting fed up halfway through and tying it back in a ponytail to dry instead), threw on some clean clothes, and came back out into her bedroom to find that Aubie had turned down the radio. Ree turned it back up spitefully, wondering where he'd gotten off to. He was far too smart sometimes.

"And don't touch my stuff!" she called down the hallway, just to be sure.

Ree then sat down on her bed, looking across the room at the thing she'd been putting off since yesterday—a test. _The_ test. The one she really should have done the day before, but couldn't bring herself to. Procrastination was a terrible thing, but so was failing tests.

She got more comfortable on the bed, keeping her eyes locked onto the innocent little test. But oh no, it wasn't so innocent. She knew its dangers. It made you _think_ it was just another test. Ree narrowed her eyes and hugged the stuffed heatmor to her chest, using it as a pillow.

She really ought to take it at some point.

_Definitely_ soon.

And so, Ree Majors spent the next three hours playing Mario Kart.

It wasn't until Maya called her that she even remembered it lying on her desk. Ree dove for her phone—lying on the stupid little test—and eagerly picked it up when she recognized the ringtone. "Maya! Hi!"

"Hi, Ree!" The connection wasn't the greatest, but she _was_ calling from another region. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine—fuck that. How are _you_? How's Sinnoh? How was the flight? Mom told me you called yesterday, but I missed you!" she whined. She missed her sister—was that a crime? Ree flopped back onto her bed, staring up at the poster- and picture-covered ceiling.

"Sinnoh's great! The beach is _amazing_ and I wish you could've come!"

"Ha, yeah right. Working on your tan? Showing off that hot bod?"

"U-Uh, no! You know I'm not like that... Oh! I've already met most of the new gym leaders! They're so different here, Ree. Everything is! A lot of them have never even seen a serperior before!"

"Well, yeah. Unova doesn't like exporting. You need licenses both ways."

"I know, but..." She sighed. It came out as static over the line. "How's Scott?"

"He's fine. Nothing new to report, anyway."

"How's Aubie? Is he there?"

"No, he already left after trying to turn off my radio," Ree complained, glancing at the door to make sure he wasn't eavesdropping. No liepard in sight. "So, gone shopping yet? Done any tourist things? What exactly are you _over_ there for, anyway?" She'd asked that question at least a dozen times, and had yet to receive an adequate answer.

"I'm the representative from our region." Another static-y sigh. "I'll tell you about it when I get back at the end of the week. Is there anything in particular you want from Sinnoh as a souvenir?"

"I don't know. Oh—wait—a dress."

"...A _dress_?"

"Yeah! Get me something cute and that's in fashion over there right now," Ree said matter-of-factly.

"Um, okay."

"Enjoy yourself, okay?"

"Oh, I will! Everyone's so hospitable and nice, and a couple of the gym leaders are pretty cute..."

"Hey, wait. Don't you have a guy waiting for you back here?"

"He's not my boyfriend! I-I—it's not like I'm—there's nothing wrong with _looking_!" Maya squeaked. Ree could hear the blush in her voice and couldn't help laughing at her sister's expense. "A-Anyway, Ree, I gotta go now."

"Try not to drool too much! Bye, Maya," Ree sang. Her sister was so successful, why not tease her sometimes? It was the least she could do to try to drag her back down to her level. She hung up and flipped the phone shut, casting a wary eye on the test once more. Her mood was lifted thanks to the call, so why not take it then? At least she'd go into it with a positive outlook, and isn't that supposed to improve your chances of passing or something?

With a groan, she decided to be responsible and finally take the damned thing. Then she'd go back to her normal life and video games and Scott and singing badly to annoy Aubie.

Ree ended up failing the test.

-.-.-

"So, you're applying for a trainer's license. According to this, this will not be your first time applying for one. Is there any reason in particular you're giving it another try?"

Ree smiled sweetly, trying not to look too guilty. "Uh... Fifth time's the charm?" She was fully aware of her track record, thank you. But this time, things would be different. So very much different. For one thing, she couldn't simply return home if she had a rough time of it; she'd be stuck with this journey.

The lab technician pursed his lips. Judgmentally. Her smile dropped off her face. "There isn't a limit to how many times you can apply, but it's just... You must understand why I'm asking about it."

"I know what that file must look like, but it's not that bad. My previous starters have either been given to friends or released safely back into the wild. And I'm _not_ going to crap out again like that. Er, quit, I mean." Ree hunched her shoulders and dug her nails into her shorts, pulling on the fabric absently.

"...And it says here you're applying for a lab starter instead of catching your own."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Any reason for the change?"

"Well..." Ree scoured her mind for a good reason. "Mostly... My sister has a serperior, so I'm kinda familiar with that line. And I like novelty, so why not try something new?"

"Alright then... You just need to fill out these forms, and we'll need to take your picture for your trainer card."

"Sounds like a deal!" He began typing on the computer, and she kicked her legs aimlessly, scuffing her shoes on the floor. "So, uh... How long is this thing gonna take?"

"Oh, only a couple more minutes. The card has to print and the information has to be entered into the registry..." he replied absently, eyes still on the screen.

"Ah, sweet. Good. I can still make it to Nuvema tonight then." She grinned to herself.

"That eager to get started?"

"Well, yeah! Weren't you when you started?"

The technician paused, eyes wide behind his classes. Then, he smiled and ducked his head. "...I suppose I was. I'm so used to dealing with children... I forgot that kids your age can be excited to start training as well."

Ree scowled, affronted. "I'm not a kid. I'm legally an adult, especially with—"

"Say cheese."

"—cheese. Especially with that little card I'm about to get. Sixteen or older with a license, or three years' training experience without one. I know the rules. I'm an _adult_."

"You're an adult in some ways," he hummed, "but not in others. You still cannot vote, drink, or gamble until you're eighteen." Ree had naturally done all of those things. He didn't need to know that.

"I'll be eighteen next month," she waved him off. "Besides, trainer card. Instant adulthood, right?"

"Unfortunately..." Ree kicked his chair, much to his surprise. She decided he probably didn't get too much abuse in his line of work. She beamed and kicked the chair again, nearly knocking him out of it. "Okay, I get it. _Stop it_. Please."

"Anything else I should know before going out into the big, bad world?" the brunette asked innocently.

"Stock up before you leave and don't wear tennis shoes if you value your feet at all," the technician replied, a little more curtly than he had been earlier. She swung her legs again, just narrowly avoiding his chair. "It never hurts to have a traveling companion, either. Get a phone with a decent battery."

That reminded her; she only had one bar left on her phone. She'd just charge it in the pokémon center that night. Then again, she _had_ wanted to actually set out that night, too... "Which starter did you pick?" she asked for a change of subject.

He looked up at her, eyes large behind his glasses again. He probably didn't come across that question in his line of work, either. "I didn't go to the lab for mine," he said after a pregnant pause, turning back to the computer beside him and pretended to read the screen. "Mine were a gift from my parents, long ago. I started off a little oddly—I received a pair of siblings as starters, two timburr who proved to be quite the handful. It's why I usually recommend to most starting trainers to work with their starter for a long period of time before rushing off to catch any other pokémon."

"Two starters?"

"And fighters," he said fondly.

Ree whistled. He had just earned a couple more respect points (but only a couple). At least not all lab techs were stuffy and bookish and boring. Not that she'd met a whole bunch. "Any other words of wisdom for me?"

"Don't push yourself, or your team, too hard or too fast. You have plenty of time. Value your pokémon—they're your friends, your family, and usually, the only thing standing between you and the hungry wild pokémon out there. And... really, don't be afraid to get dirty or bloody. It's going to happen. Don't be squeamish, especially when it comes to starving to death or self defense," he listed, counting off on his fingers. Ree bobbed her head in agreement. A lot of it was the same lessons they spouted constantly in school or on television. She wasn't some green little newbie, that was for sure, and she certainly wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

"That all?"

"What else do you want from me?" he asked with a dramatic sigh, pressing his hand against his forehead. "I'm simply a lab tech right now. I haven't properly been out in the field for years. The rest of it, you are going to have to learn on your own, missy."

Ree chuckled and smirked. "Fine, fine. Just..." Her snappy response died in her throat. "...Thank you." She ducked her head hastily to hide the way her throat constricted and panic momentarily overtook her. It passed, however. She'd be fine. She had done this (kind of) before. She could always call up Maya—or even Scott—no, wait, not Scott—but she had friends and family she could call for support! Not to mention how fast people seemed to make friends when off on training journeys. It was practically the national pastime.

"You're very welcome. Good luck out there, miss Majors."

"Thanks." _I'll need it_, she thought sourly.

She traipsed back to her house, making a second trip for a better-stocked backpack, as per his instructions. She also refilled Aubie's food dish, just to be nice, and scratched him as she whispered goodbyes to him. She didn't say goodbye to Scott. She couldn't face him and she was too impatient to get to Nuvema that day. Ree shouldered her heavy backpack and shoved her hands in her pockets. She then marched to the Center.

Since Unova was the only region that dissuaded teleportation, not to mention the only region with an actual system to more or less control it, flight was the main method of transportation by far. New trainers could also get free rides to Nuvema Town if they wanted. Airfare was cheap, anyway, but Ree gladly flashed her brand new trainer card for her free ride regardless. The braviary nipped at her, but its handler dragged it back and kept it from misbehaving further.

He helped her up onto the massive bird, then got up behind her. "Hey, uh, about how long will this take?"

"Just under an hour. Don't worry, Warren's a great flier. Fast, but super safe!" the handler said cheerfully, locking his arms around her and entwining his gloves in the saddle-like thing. Ree looked at it curiously. She had always liked birds, but had very rarely gotten to see such large ones up close. The incident at the zoo didn't count. Of course, there were wild pidove, tranquill, and even unfezant around the city, but they were so much smaller.

Braviary were pretty cool, she thought—and then, her train of thought crashed and burned completely as they flapped into the air. She couldn't help but scream and lean forward, pressing herself as much as possible into the ruddy feathers in front of her. She hated heights.

_It's the fastest way, it's the fastest way, it's the fastest way_, she repeated desperately, eyes screwed shut. She felt the handler shake her shoulder in concern, but she didn't dare raise herself from the semi-safety of the feathers. The hour passed by excruciatingly slowly.

By the time they landed, Ree's hearing was shot from the wind, she was sure she'd suffered several minor heart attacks, and her entire body was mercilessly sore. She nearly fell when she first slid off. She remembered the real reason why she had never bothered to get a lab starter; the flight had nearly killed her. It was only the second time she had flown by pokémon, too, but damn it all, that was going to be her _last_.

"Th-Thanks," she mumbled in a daze, waving off the handler's concern. The braviary made a sound that could've been a crow of laughter. At least it had been free.

Obtaining a snivy was exceedingly easy after that trial. All that was required was her trainer card and a bit more paperwork, and then she was led into an outdoor enclosure full of grass pokémon. She marveled at them. A couple she recognized, since Maya owned one, and even a little sewaddle—that had been one of her ex-starters from one of her previous attempts. She stooped to coo at it, only getting dragged away when the woman in charge of her got impatient.

"Just a warning," the woman said, "but snivy are notoriously... Well, they aren't known for their friendly temperament. More than most other species, you will have to work at earning its respect."

"Oh, no problem. Pokémon love me." Ree glanced around, still looking for any snivy. A couple deerling and a sawsbuck, as well as cotton-ball-looking things, but no serpents. A pair of patrat ran by, nearly tripping them both up.

Pokémon loved her about as much as any other trainer, but she wasn't afraid to get rough with them if that's what it took to earn their respect. Maya's snivy had been like that in the beginning, and wouldn't respect her until she had gotten fed up with him and used herself in a battle against him. It mostly involved her punting him into a tree, but it had worked marvelously. Ree had thought it hilarious at the time, too.

Finally, they found a servine. Not quite what they were looking for, but the woman didn't seem to mind. "Loco, where is he?"

"Ser," the grass pokémon replied with a smug grin, bringing up a tiny paw to snicker behind. It swung its body around and pointed with its leafy tail.

"Thank you," she said politely, and began to lead Ree away. For her part, she tried to study the servine as much as possible. She had only seen her sister's a sparse couple of times, and that had been years ago. Her snivy would evolve into that. And if she had any say in it, pretty damn soon after she got it.

"Ah, here he is."

"He?" Ree poked her head around eagerly, eyes bright. Leaning up against a tree, large eyes closed, was the snivy.

"Yes, this is a male snivy. Unnamed, of course, and still relatively young. He's fairly even-tempered, but of course, snooty if given the chance." The woman nodded down to him, and that was all the permission she needed.

She knelt down beside him, and finally, he opened his eyes. They were impossibly huge and reddish brown, although currently lidded and looking bored. "Sni?"

"Hi," she couldn't help but whisper, smitten. He was adorable and perfect and hers if she could get him to accept her as a trainer.

"Sni," the snivy said dismissively, closing his eyes once more.

"I'm gonna be your new trainer."

He didn't even deem her worthy of a response this time around.

Ree tried the nice routine again, but for the last time. Smiling brightly, she leaned down closer. "You're a cutie. My name is Ree. We're gonna be awesome together, and we're going on a journey to get gym badges and shit."

He grunted and turned his back on her, crossing his tiny arms in front of him. Snooty was definitely a word to describe him. Ree sat back on her haunches and sighed. Plan B then. She reached over and grabbed his tail, hauling him into the air. The woman behind her made a sound that seemed like the lovechild of disgust and shock. Just to make the effect more potent, Ree stood up. She was tall, both for her age and gender, and she figured that being held upside-down by something several times your size would have to be scary.

"_As I said_, I am gonna be your trainer, mister snivy. So start listening when I speak to you." It was hard to resist adding 'bitch' to the end of it.

He thrashed and hissed, although more in embarrassment than anything else. He couldn't swing up enough to get his claws on her, however.

"Train. Er," Ree stressed, holding him up at eye-level.

He swung at her face, narrowly missing, fangs bared.

She dropped him. He squealed, but she caught him easily with her other hand, and held him right-side up under the arms. He immediately latched onto her hand, of course, biting down hard and drawing blood. He scrabbled at both her hands with his claws as well.

Ree took it stoically, even if it hurt. She wasn't sure the woman would appreciate it if she kicked him into a tree, after all. Eventually, however, it started to throb and he still wasn't letting go. Weren't they supposed to realize the error of their way and apologize by licking you or something? "Trainer, me."

"Sni," he growled, lessening his grip a fraction. Progress!

"Do that all you want. I'm bigger and stronger than you are. You know I could beat you into the ground if I so chose." That was mostly a lie. Most pokémon seemed to be pure muscle, and even by holding him, she could feel how strong he was. She definitely had size on him, but he could break bones with a well-placed smack of his tail.

The snivy finally released her from his jaws and stared up at her. His eyes were still lidded and bored, and there was a little smear of red near the corner of his mouth. She grinned at him, and reluctantly, he grinned back, revealing sharp fangs. "...sni, snivy," he said at last, nodding his pointed head once.

"Does this mean I pass?" Ree asked the woman with a wide grin.

"If... If he's decided..." She seemed entirely unable to comprehend that sort of approach. Ree was fine with that. She liked being unique. "Ahem, right then. Please, if you both would come inside..."

Ree and her snivy-to-be followed her, chattering in low tones to each other. She liked him already. He was snappy and didn't seem like he'd take any crap from anyone. Perfect. "This is gonna be a rough journey, and we're gonna have to sit down and have a talk at some point... soon. There are some things I have to explain to you."

"Sni!" he squealed. He wiggled up out of her arms, sliding easily from her grasp. She wasn't used to being unable to grasp onto fur or feathers. The snivy slithered around her shoulder and attached himself to the back of her head, digging his claws into her bushy hair. He was surprisingly light, so she decided to let him ride on her head for the time being. It wouldn't hurt to get off to a good start, anyway.

"I'm gonna have to name you, too."

"Vee," he snickered, swiping his tail by her neck.

"I swear, if you cut my hair, I'll skin you and make you a pair of boots," she hissed back. She knew full well what snivy were capable of. He swished his tail once more, but she couldn't feel any hair falling or anything else suspicious, so she let him be.

He chuckled again and crawled around on her head. She could tell that he was trying to dig his claws in, possibly to her scalp, but she couldn't feel a thing. Finally, her hair paid off. He only got comfortable when he was draped across her skull, tail pressing against her ponytail, snout on her bangs.

"I'll give you your pokédex and show you how to use it, and then you should be fine," the woman said. She seemed much more at ease back in the laboratory. She flitted from bookcase to computer to desk, heels clicking on the floor, hardly paying them any mind. Which was a good thing, since the snivy had decided to actively mess up her hair further. It degraded into a squabble rather quickly.

When she turned back to them, the snivy had latched onto her bottom lip with his teeth and had a claw full of her brown hair, and Ree was trying to pull him away, one hand on his tail and the other on one hind leg, nails digging into his scales. The woman wasn't impressed, and even less so when they both instantly dropped their hands. The snivy fell, caught himself on the bottom of her shirt, and crawled back up on her shoulder with a smug expression.

"...Right then. Are you _sure_ you'd like to go through with this? There are other pokémon available to starting trainers."

"Oh, I'm sure. He's great. I like him."

"Of course you do." The woman sighed and adjusted her ponytail. "Well, here is your pokédex then." Ree took the little red machine with awe. Her snivy curled around her neck in order to see it better. "When you first turn it on, it will prompt you for your information and will ask to scan your trainer card. While you're doing that, I have to go retrieve his pokéball and get a few other supplies. I'll be back momentarily."

"Ah, okay." She was far too enraptured with the pokédex to pay much attention. She slid it open and pressed the little power button on the side, tilting it to look at the port just below it while it booted up.

The snivy jumped violently when it dinged. He peeked out from behind her ponytail, eyes narrowed to slits. "Vee," he hissed.

"Oh, it's fine. It's supposed to make that noise." She eagerly started going through the welcome screen. She entered in the date and time first, consulting with her dying cell phone. It then asked for all of the information it seemed like she'd been giving out all day—full name, gender, trainer ID number, height, weight, hair color, eye color. The snivy practically had his nose in the screen; he was obviously fascinated with it. "I'm telling it who I am."

"Snivy?"

"My name. You know—Ree. And how old I am, and a whole bunch of other stuff. This way it knows it's mine—ours."

"Sni." He turned back to it with large eyes.

After her information was processed, it asked for "STARTER INPUT".

"Wait, what?" She nudged the grass lizard out of the way and squinted at the screen. Hadn't she just entered that stuff? "Oh, don't tell me this thing is gonna crap out on me already. Stupid thing."

"Are you done?" She looked up to find the woman had returned. She had a pokéball in one hand and a bag of some sort under the other. Ree frowned and held out the pokédex. "Ah, you've finished."

"What the hell is it asking for? It won't let me type anything more or anything!"

"Here. Give it here, please." She put the pokéball in her pocket and took the pokédex from her, holding it at an angle to show her the side. "See this little circle right here?" She pointed to the port she'd noticed earlier. "You fit the pokéball of any pokémon you own, capture, or buy, and it automatically registers their species, pokéball ID number, height, weight—basically, all of the information it just asked you for. It's so much easier to automate that part."

"Ohh." She nodded, nearly dislodging the snivy. "How does it work?"

"It'll be easier to show you." She handed the pokédex back to Ree to hold and withdrew the pokéball once more, unceremoniously returning the pokémon. She then tapped the button once lightly, and it shrunk into its minimized form. She took the pokédex back, and aligned the button up with the port. "There is a ring around the button that fits into this—the black line that looks like an outline? All pokéball types have this, and that is how the pokédex scans the inhabitant." It dinged again, and the woman proudly handed both items to her.

"So..." Ree looked down at the pokéball, then at the pokédex. It was now requesting a nickname for the captured snivy. Eyes lighting up, she gleefully started racking her brain for name ideas.

"You'll have to buy any more pokéballs you desire on your own. We do, however, give you a day's worth of pokémon food for your starter—that's three meals. This should get you both started until you either buy more supplies on your own, or if you choose, learn how to live off of the land," the woman said with a smile, offering her the little bag. Ree winced and thought of her overstuffed backpack.

"Thank you." Into her shorts pocket it went for now. Her attention returned to the pokédex and name. Scott named his after famous singers, and she wasn't sure how Maya came up with her team's names. She wasn't sure about Aubie, either. She was terrible with names, and the excitement of _finally_ having a named pokémon of her own wasn't helping that in the least.

She was dimly aware of the woman asking her if she had any more questions, and shook her head. She was even less aware as she signed an affirmative of her retrieval of a starter, agreement to becoming a trainer, and was herded out the door.

Ree woke back up halfway out of town and still with no idea as to what to name him. Of course, there was no reason whatsoever that she had to do it on her own. She tapped the pokédex to make sure it didn't slip into sleep mode, and then tapped the button like she had seen the woman do to maximize the pokéball once more. Her pokéball. Well, technically his pokéball, but he was hers now! It made sense somewhere in there.

"Come on out, mister snivy!" she called, feeling a bit like an idiot for talking to thin air. Her snivy appeared on the ground in front of her after her call, lids still low over his eyes and mouth quirked into a sharp little smile. "We need to get you a name!" she announced without preamble.

"Sni?"

"A _name_. Or nickname. It's what I—and other people—will call you from here on out. You know—me, Ree." She pointed to her chest. "You, something else."

"Snivy?"

Ree sighed and squatted down next to him, shrugging off her backpack. She managed to stuff the pokémon food into it and rummaged around for her notebook. She _knew_ she had grabbed one in her rush to leave home... "Aha! There we go, there you are, you little fucker." She yanked out the tattered notebook, flipping it open. It appeared to be an old school one, half-full of chemistry notes and doodles. While mildly amused at the fact that she would get to deal with science on her awesome journey, she had more pressing matters to attend to. "Okay, so. A name! You're male, which means you get a boy name."

He glared at her flatly. She grinned at him. So he _could_ fully understand her.

"Hmm..."

"Snivy," he said, and then pressed his paws up against his mouth, snickering again. She had the feeling she'd just been insulted. She stuck her tongue out, and he mimicked her, wiggling his forked tongue at her. "Vee!"

"You're an evil little imp..."

He batted his huge eyes at her, tail waving behind him. He was trying to look innocent, she realized.

She couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, you're conniving. I like you. You're gonna need a name to match this."

"Vee-vee!" He trotted over and hugged her knee, laying his head across it. "Snivy, vee-vee, snivy-sni!"

"I wonder when you'll realize that I use the same tricks." He looked up at her, blinking. "That means they won't work on me, mister."

He laughed and swished his tail again. She was unused to the movement. Whenever Aubie did it, it meant he was usually angry or annoyed. When Yorick did it, he was happy. What did it mean if a lizard-snake-thing did it? They were going to have to work on their communication, but it would be easiest _after_ they came up with a name for him.

Not that he'd be much help, of course, unless he started speaking her language.

She'd called him mister enough, it was starting to catch. "I could give you a really fancy name... A girl in my class had a tepig she'd named Sir Swine The Second. It could be Mister something. ...I wonder what happened to the first."

"Sni!"

"Yeah, I don't know what that means." She turned back to the notebook with a thoughtful frown. She wrote down 'Mister'. He was green, he was grass type, he was serpentine, and he was smug. She could work with that.

He snickered again and climbed up onto her knee, perching himself on her thigh. He picked at the fabric covering it, curious and unsure. "Snivy."

"Mister Snivy? Oh, that's wonderful," she cracked. She shifted around, finally sitting, careful not to displace him. He clasped his paws together—no, he was _actually_ rubbing his claws together like those old cartoon villains. He was plotting. Of course, even if he came up with the most brilliant name in the history of the universe, unless he started to speak her tongue or could use her alphabet, he would be of no help.

And then she had it.

"Mister Snivy Whiplash!"

He stared at her, confused and unimpressed.

"There was this old guy with a mustache and a top hat on this cartoon Maya and I used to watch when we were little. His name was something Whiplash, but why not run with it? You could be a cartoon hero—or, well, villain, but close enough."

"Vee?"

"You're right... That's hard to yell all at once." Her dad had a theory about names. If you couldn't shout it when angry, then it needed to be changed or develop into a nickname. Scott and Maya both agreed with the philosophy, so that was good enough for her. "Still, it's a start. We can give you a nickname for your nickname!"

"Vee-vee, snivy," he whined, leaning forward.

"What, you don't like it?"

"Snivy!"

"I don't know what that means!" she cried in frustration, throwing the notebook to the ground. "Okay, when you mean yes, you nod your head and say your yes word, like this." She bobbed her head. "And when you mean no, you shake your head and say your no word, like this." She shook her head.

"Sni!" He nodded awkwardly.

"Okay, good!" Progress, again! "Do you like the name?"

"Sni!" Another nod.

"High five, then." She held out her hand, and he stared at, head tilted. "Just press your paw against my hand." He did so, and she could tell the movement was still lost on him, but she was satisfied nonetheless. Ree tapped the pokédex's screen, and it lit up once more. She entered in the name 'MISTER SNIVY WHIPLASH'. Now, there had to be a nickname for the nickname. She personally found nothing bizarre about that whatsoever. Ree was a nickname, after all.

"Vee-vee, sni!" he said excitedly, coiling around her leg. He then made an odd little sound, half hissing, half growling.

"The first two words are out, pretty much," she said, at once realizing what a block she'd worked herself into. She looked up at the sky. It was streaked with orange and red, and they hadn't made much progress at all. "Come on, we can talk and walk."

"Snivy sni," he said, hopping off onto the ground. She straightened and shoved the notebook back into her poor backpack. As they began walking towards the outskirts, however, he either had trouble keeping up or got lazy. Ree felt him latch onto the back of her calf with sharp claws, shimmying up her body until he was riding on her shoulder.

"...Right. Okay then, nickname. We're pretty much working with the Whiplash part, which is two chunks, so we can either work with Whip or Lash."

"Snivy!"

"Hmm..." Nothing particularly creative came to her mind. Ree chewed on her bottom lip, hardly noticing as they passed the city limits. "Ah, fuck it. I'm just gonna call you Whippy for short. Otherwise, you get to be fancy, Mister Snivy Whiplash!"

"Snivy, sni-_vee_!" he exclaimed, coiling himself around her neck. She found it oddly soothing to feel his cool scales against her skin, although she wasn't too sure about having a pokémon she'd just met so close to her throat. Even if he was hers. He _had_ bitten her.

_Wait. That dude told me to trust my pokémon_, she remembered guiltily. Bygones had to be bygones. Her hand barely hurt anymore, anyway. "Okay, so anyway. Whippy."

"Vee-vee!" he replied.

"Whatever. Sounds great." She grinned and leaned her cheek against his back. He arched into her touch like Aubie usually did. Maybe serpents and felines weren't too terribly different. "So... Training."

"Snivy?"

"Yeah, I didn't mention it earlier, but we're on a time limit."

"Sni?" He jerked back, standing upright on her shoulder. He then dug his claws into her temples and forcibly turned her head to face him. "Sni?" he repeated in a hiss.

"Hey, calm your tits. This is how we're gonna do it, got it?"

"Snivy?" he whimpered, dropping the angry act. Ree pursed her lips and tried to concentrate on reading him accurately; he was too good at performing to get the reactions he wanted. That could get dangerous later on if she couldn't figure out his tells soon.

"Because," she responded, taking a stab in the dark as to what he was asking. Thank god pokémon raised their voice at the end of their questions, too, otherwise she'd be utterly lost. "Well, basically, this is gonna be hell for us both. But on the bright side, that means you'll get real strong, real fast!" He was not amused with her silver lining. "Say what you will, but neither of us have a choice in the matter."

"Hey, you!"

Ree had to have jumped a foot in the air. Whippy nearly fell off. She turned around, looking for the source of the voice, and spotted a boy at least five years her junior wading through the undergrowth towards her. "Wait, when did we leave the city?"

"We should battle!" he cried exuberantly, chest heaving as he finally made it onto the path.

"Yeah, about that. I kinda just set out from Nuvema and Whippy doesn't have any experience. I wanna raise him a bit on the wild pokémon before jumping into the pool, you know?" she drawled, placing a hand on her hip.

"That's not how it works." The boy seemed confused by her reply. He glanced up and down the path, and then locked eyes with her once more. "Trainers have to formally accept or decline all challenges they're given!"

"Well, then how about _no_." She turned and began walking away.

"Okay then, give me your money!" She froze on the spot.

"_Excuse_ me? I didn't lose any battle. I don't owe you shit."

He crossed his arms and tilted his head back. "You forfeited the match. This means that you lose by default."

Ree paused to consider his logic. It, unfortunately, made sense. And hey, she loved schooling little brats. Who cared if Whippy had yet to actually battle? Her pride refused any and all failures. "Nevermind then. I accept your challenge!" She plucked her snivy off of her shoulder and let him slip to the ground.

The boy didn't seem at all deterred by her change of heart and instead smiled. "Come on out, Venny!" Oh, that didn't sound good. Ree reeled back in momentary panic when a venipede came out.

She was fully aware of how this situation would play out. Scott had a scolipede and Maya had a serperior—she had seen this battle played out many times before and at various stages of evolution. "Oh, fuck." They had a major disadvantage. She wasn't sure he knew how to use any grass moves properly, and she could only hope that it didn't have any poison or bug moves. She crouched down before the battle actually started, drawing Whippy back. "That thing is going to be nasty. Don't touch it and don't let it touch you."

"Sni," he replied with a nod. He then grinned and brushed her back, waving her off. "Sni, snivy-sni, vee-vee."

The battle commenced. The two pokémon circled each other, waiting on orders and sizing each other up. Ree wasn't sure if she should make the first move or not; she didn't want to send him straight into some sort of poison move. Plus, even their skin could be toxic.

Finally, the boy broke the tense silence. "Venny, attack! Poison sting!"

"Ah, shit! Whippy, dodge it and keep your distance! Make sure those things don't hit you!" She'd been hit by them before, and they _hurt_ like a bitch. Her snivy managed to avoid the first volley and the pokémon circled each other once more. Ree growled to herself and dug the pokédex out of her pocket. It should have a list of moves he would be able to use. She only hoped for something long distance.

She got tackle and leer instead.

At least one of them was long distance. "Whippy, use leer! Put the fear of god into it!"

Her snivy stood up onto his toes, tilted his head back, and marvelously glared down his opponent. She applauded politely. The venipede shrank back a little, glancing back towards its trainer, unsure.

"Use a defense curl!" Oh, so the little snot could use basic strategy. Ree scrunched up her nose and tried to think of some fast, easy way of winning. She had two moves to work with, and whatever imagination they had and could get away with.

"Whippy, quick! Go hit it—with your tail!" His tail was his strongest part and hopefully wouldn't get poisoned. He shot her a confused look but darted forward nonetheless, smacking the balled up bug with his tail, sending it into a bush. It crawled back out with an angry buzz.

He didn't appear poisoned. They either got lucky or it wasn't the poisonous kind. Hopefully the latter. "Use a rollout!" the boy commanded.

"Hit it with your tail again!" The two pokémon collided, and once again, the venipede was sent back off the path. Whippy held his tail this time, however. She could see a scrape on it. "Whippy, whenever that thing comes at you rolled up, you keep hitting it away." She was hoping it would either get tired, or eventually, they could get it onto its back. "If it gets stuck on its back, you go for it and rip that little bug to pieces, okay?" She knew the underbelly was the weakest part.

And so did its trainer. "Use another poison sting! Try to get it poisoned!"

"Hey, don't play dirty!"

"Then you don't!"

"Fine, then play dirty!" Ree called back. So what if she started it? The venipede shot more little poison stings at her snivy, and he barely skittered out of the way in time.

The battle wasn't the fast-paced, hot-blooded type she usually saw on TV. Instead, it was a lot of circling and occasional potshots. Very reactive, not proactive. And this bothered Ree more than it probably should have. She was _not_ the type to only react, and he hadn't gotten poisoned yet from beating on it, so they may as well take their chances. Otherwise, the battle was liable to last forever and get even more boring.

"Whippy, tackle it!"

"Sni?" He turned and looked at her over his shoulder. She nodded firmly. He made something that could've been his version of a shrug, and crouched down on all of his four little limbs. The venipede scuttled back towards its trainer, its tail held high and quivering. It was playing defensive.

Not that Whippy or Ree minded. He shot forward, half running, half slithering, and threw his entire body at the bug. It squealed and thrashed, even as they rolled and tumbled. When they halted, he had it pinned on its back and it was clamped onto his side, chewing viciously. She _knew_ that part was poisonous, so Ree flailed and ran closer, careful to give them room. "Shit! Whippy, bite back!" Were snivy poisonous? At least he had sharp teeth.

"Haha, finally! Make sure you poison it, Venny!" the male trainer cheered, pumping his fists in the air. "Come on, we got this battle in the bag now!"

"Hey, fuck you!" Ree snapped. "Whippy, dig into its belly!"

He growled an unintelligible response and rolled instead. He pried the venipede's sharp teeth out of him using his tail for leverage, and plopped onto the ground on the other side. The bug, surprised by the move, wiggled uselessly. Ree resisted the urge to run to her snivy—to what? Comfort him? She was more than a little grossed out by the bug spit (hopefully not raw poison) and blood dribbling down his side. She settled for dancing from foot to foot anxiously.

The venipede thrashed and squirmed, having difficulty getting back onto its feet. Every time it got somewhat close, Whippy would use his tail to tip it back onto its back, snickering as he did so. Its trainer started forward with a cry of, "Venny! No!"

"Hey," Ree deadpanned, grabbing the kid by the arm. "You can't just interfere with a pokémon battle unless you're forfeiting. Your bug is on its own or you fork over the cash." _This is what you get for not letting me walk away, bitch_, she thought vengefully.

"Nngh," he replied smartly. He stepped back and she dropped her hand. "Venny, just... Try to get back on your feet! Or, wait—roll into a ball! Roll away!"

It curled up and while it took a couple rocks to build momentum, it safely rolled away from the snivy. He watched it go with an indifferent gaze. Just as it unrolled, safely back on its feet, however—and without waiting for any sort of orders from his new trainer—he ran forward and threw himself at the venipede again. He knocked it back onto its hard shell and rendered it temporarily useless once more.

"Whippy, what are you waiting for?" Ree all but shrieked. "Attack its stomach!"

"Snivy-vee," he replied, rolling his eyes.

"I don't understand you!"

He heaved a great sigh. "Snivy-_vee_," he repeated, just as unhelpful as the first time.

"Venny, roll away again! This time, fire a poison sting as you open again!" the other trainer cried. His insect loyally rolled away once more, uncurling near his feet. Whippy again dodged the poison attack, but he still didn't seem too keen on Ree's strategy. She huffed in frustration.

"You know what? Whatever! Do what you want—just win this battle!" she snarled at him.

He grinned and nodded. It was her turn to roll her eyes. He _had_ to win it his way, did he? He ran at the venipede, only to get a face full of poison sting. He hissed and spat and shut his eyes, blinded. He whirled around and smacked it with his tail on reflex, bending his head down and drawing in his tail around him, scrabbling at his face with his little claws.

"See where your way gets you?" Ree couldn't help but call out.

"Snivy!" he shouted back, cracking open a red eye to glare at her. Just to prove he could still battle, eyes only open in slits, he charged once more at the bug. It spat out another mouthful of poison sting, but this time, he used his tail to push himself into a leap over it. He landed neatly on its hump, immediately grabbing hold of the antenna like reigns. It squealed and bucked in a panic, but he kept hold.

And looked completely absurd. He looked like he was at the rodeo riding a bouffalant. Ree couldn't help but crack up as the other trainer squawked and spluttered. The venipede ran around in a circle, flailing wildly, and he managed to hang on. At least for a little while. After a too-sharp turn, he slipped off—and took the bug with him by the antenna. They tumbled into the grass on the side of the path. The pair got into another wrestling match, biting and clawing and hissing at each other. He smacked it in the face with his tail, and it responded by latching onto one of the leafy ends.

"Whippy, finish it already!" Ree called. She was already afraid her snivy wouldn't be able to, though. He seemed to be a lot messier than the venipede, and he was more or less still blinded. He snapped his jaws shut on one of its butt antenna, and with a hollow pop, snapped the last couple inches off. It screamed and instantly retaliated, ripping a chunk of his tail out. It was his turn to shriek and they progressively got more and more savage, caring less about their own health and more about hurting the other one.

"Stop it!" It was the other trainer who broke them up. He rushed in and tore them apart, hands and forearms scratched and bloody before he succeeded.

A little late, Ree trotted over and retrieved her hissing pokémon. She realized then how bad of shape he was in. His side was still bloody and scales and flesh were missing, there was a large tear in the leaf on his tail that was oozing something brownish, and his eyes were red and puffy. When had it gotten so bad?

"L-Let's call this one a tie," the boy mumbled, cradling his venipede gingerly. It gurgled and tried to get back at Whippy. When he saw the movement, her snivy launched himself forward, trying to get back into the fray, too—she caught him by the haunches and drew him back against her chest.

"Alright, a tie," she replied dumbly, unsure of what else to do. She was used to carefully choreographed battles, in which the pokémon obeyed their trainers perfectly and yeah, they got the shit beat out of them. But always just bruises and a bit of blood. Never missing pieces of tail. Whippy growled and used his injured tail as leverage for another jump, pushing it hard against her stomach. It hurt and she lost her grip on him. He slipped out of her hands and almost made it to the venipede once more before she threw herself at him, pinning him to the ground. "No! Whippy—stay!" She didn't know what else to say.

The boy and his bug took off soon after that, anyway, shouting something about rabid pokémon. It was only until after they were out of sight did she let him up.

He glared at her reproachfully, or as well as he could with his eyes in such a state.

She would have none of it. _She_ was the trainer, so she was right. Or so she kept telling herself. "Are you happy now? If you had just listened to me—"

"Snivy." He turned on her, coiling his tail around himself.

"Don't turn away from me, mister."

"Snivy."

She growled and reached out for him, but stopped before she could touch him. She was probably going about this all wrong. She had let him battle on his own and he had messed up. He had gotten hurt and angry and wanted to defend himself. That wasn't so bad, right? Plus, pokémon _were_ still somewhat wild, and they were dangerous. He was only kind of proving that.

Maybe he was trying to defend her? She would work with that angle. He wasn't vicious or proud or anything like that. He was just protective.

"...C'mere," she said softly, drawing his attention. She shrugged off her backpack and dug around in it, coming up with her half-full bottle of water. "We need to get that poison out of your eyes before anything worse happens."

He grudgingly approached her, allowing her to tilt his head back. She trickled water into his eyes, holding him still when he whined. "S-Sni," he whimpered, scrubbing furiously at his eyes when she was done. He blinked rapidly and looked up at her. His eyes, scarlet in the sunset light, were still bloodshot, but it seemed like he could open them without wincing now. That was a good sign.

"Okay, let's get you cleaned up. No need to look like roadkill after your first battle."

"Vee-vee... Snivy-snivy vee, sni."

"I don't know what you're saying," she sang, raising his arm so she could inspect the damage to his side. Scales were missing and hanging loosely to the rest of his skin, but the bite didn't seem to be too deep. More of a chew than a bite. "Ah shit, I really hope you didn't get poisoned."

He responded by throwing up in her lap.

"...That's lovely." Ree stared down at the mess on her shorts, shocked—and then the disgust set in. She gagged and tried not to vomit herself, stood up, and kept him at arm's length. He coughed and spat, but didn't throw up again. She danced around in a circle, wondering what the hell to do. She didn't have a sink or bathroom to wash off in, and her water bottle was nearly empty, anyway. He was sick and wounded, and she was grossed out and lost.

Ree marched off of the path and into the trees until they came to a small clearing. She set him down in the cool grass, propping him up by her backpack, and peeled off her shorts. Thankfully they were made of thick material, so it hadn't bled through. She was fairly certain she'd curl up into a ball and cry if she had no way of cleaning vomit off her legs.

"Uh, okay, think. Shorts are disgusting and dirty. Whippy is poisoned." She glanced down at him, only to find him digging through her backpack. He came back up with the packet of pokémon food and eagerly opened it. "Hey! No!" She draped her shorts across a low branch and hastily took it from him. "I know you're hungry, but you can't eat again until you get more of it out of your system! Otherwise you'll just throw it back up." Speaking from personal experience, too.

"Vee-vee," he whined, eyes big and sad. "Snivy?"

"No, you can't have any. Uh... Drink some water. We need to flush out your system. After you drink, then you may have a _bite_. One. A little one." She handed him the water bottle and crouched down next to him. She delved into her backpack, looking for clean pants. She'd worry about the shorts later. If all else, she could always throw them out.

Ree and Whippy both learned a valuable lesson that day. Several, but one of the more surprising ones was that snivy could not use water bottles. His snout got in the way and prevented him from tipping it back enough to access the water. He ended up spilling most of it on the ground before giving up. He sat down, tossed the nearly empty bottle away, and sniffled.

When she finally saw what had happened, she had the sudden urge to bang her head against the nearest tree.

"Okay, so, that was stupid. That's all the water we have, the sun's set, and we have no shelter or fire or anything. We have a bit of food," she had brought a bag of chips and a couple of granola bars, "but you can't have any yet." He looked at her with his big, innocent eyes again. She grimaced. "...Come here. We still need to bandage you up."

Foresight was a tricky thing. She'd thought ahead to bring bandages, but left home with a half-full water bottle as her only source and means of carrying water. The sad part was that that was amazing for her.

It took half the roll she had, but she managed to bandage him somewhat neatly around the middle. She didn't know what to do about his tail. It had stopped oozing the brown stuff, anyway. After he was taken care of, sort of, she returned to her backpack. "May as well see the damage now." Truthfully, she had only grabbed fistfuls of things when packing, even on her second trip. A couple of clothing items here, an old chemistry notebook there, her stuffed heatmor, her cell phone charger...

It turned out that her estimates weren't completely off. She had four pairs of socks, three pairs of underwear, four bras, one pair of potentially ruined shorts, one pair of jeans, two tank tops, three t-shirts, and a jacket. Nearly half of these items had been from her dirty clothes hamper. Whippy held up one of her bras, the metallic purple one, with fascination. It was half of a set that Scott had gotten her as a joke.

"Don't throw up on any other clothes," she told him, carefully dragging them back towards her and away from him. She glanced over the rest of her stuff. Notebook, a couple of paperback books, tangled phone charger, pokédex, dying phone, stuffed heatmor, and a little baggy full of her toothbrush, toothpaste, hair ties, and two colors of nail polish. It was remarkably well-planned for her.

"S-Snivy," he sulked.

"Oh, you'll be fine. Poison usually works itself out of pokémon's systems in a matter of hours." That was complete and utter bouffalant shit, but he didn't need to know that. Plus, hey, it would be awesome if it turned out to be true. Ree tried to maintain a busy facade, although really, she didn't have much to do. She hadn't brought along a lighter or matches, so unless he started spouting flames, they would be out of a fire for the night. She also didn't have any sort of blanket, pillow, or sleeping garments.

The sun had fully set by then. The temperature was dropping, but it was still early August. It wouldn't drop too far. Ree shrugged on another t-shirt, her jacket, and started pulling on more socks. She then used her backpack—filled with the sad assortment of the rest of her clothes—as a pillow.

"Come here, Whippy. You can sleep it off, and I bet we'll both feel better in the morning." She curled up on her side and tried to use her jacket as a blanket as much as possible. He slithered into her arms, curling up against her stomach. She zipped it up around him, hoping to trap some of the heat.

It turned out to be a long night, one of the longest she'd ever have. She could hardly sleep, although he was just fine. She also found out that he was a reptile, which meant that he wasn't offering any new heat for her to use. She spent the night cold, uncomfortable, and unable to get the sour smell of vomit out of her nose.

_Man the fuck up, bitch_, she told herself sternly, looking down at the green, sleeping lump near her stomach. _At least he's able to sleep. We can get some water tomorrow. Stop thinking about it—you'll only get thirstier!_ She didn't stop thinking about it, and she did get even more thirsty. Ree closed her eyes and drew her knees up as far as he'd allow. _The whole journey's gonna be rough like this. Hopefully he won't throw up on your shorts again, but it's all gonna suck. You can't go back._

Not until she got all of the gym badges and made something of herself. As it stood, she didn't have a lot to be proud of. She'd completed school, yes, but not with stellar grades. She had some money in the bank, yes, but she wasn't breaking it. She had never been a successful pokémon trainer.

Well, she'd do it this time if it killed her. She had to get _something_ to show that she'd done something smart with her life. Instead of the stupid mistake she'd made earlier. She couldn't go back until she had something to show that she wasn't a waste of space and of a life.

Not that she was, anyway. She simply wanted something to be proud of.

No, that was wrong, too.

Ree Majors wanted an excuse.

She wanted an excuse to run away from home and be gone for months on end. She couldn't stand on Scott or her family or her friends; she had to stand on her own, as a trainer, and become independent. She also needed to become invisible. She couldn't bear to share her mistake; if she could get through this journey with everyone none the wiser, she would be happy. Ree slipped her free hand down and lightly traced it over Whippy's spine, then moved to her stomach. Her hand was cold, but at least it was warm inside the jacket.

Ree had to earn the gym badges in well under a year, and she couldn't go home until she had, because she was pregnant.

-.-.-

**Author's Note**: And here we begin RMWJ, or Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey! For those of you following me from Pedestal, welcome back! For those of you just joining, hi! I hope everyone enjoys this story, its cast, and its twists. Please, however, be aware that there will be _major swearing_, some _mature (including sexual) themes_, a little more realism than what the games (and anime) are used to, and some shameless, minor, and generally harmless references to my various other stories.

This story takes place in the _Unova region_ and will make references to the plot of the Black and White games, although it will not follow it; this story follows Ree, not the games. Still, be aware of _minor_ spoilers.

And I sincerely hope that everyone enjoys this story. I'm not completely happy with this first chapter, but it was the best version I could come up with. We'll get to see Ree and Whippy's true colors in time; both of them were remarkably mature in this chapter. Which they're not. Anyway, the writing will be better, and the chapters will be shorter in the future. Hope that's an equal tradeoff! XD

**Disclaimer**: In the name of the fanfic, the original author, and the disclaimer. Amen. That aside - I do not own anything related to the Pokemon franchise outside some of the games and cards. Most of the characters in this story do, however, belong to me in name, personality, and design. Those that do not will be noted or have appeared in the games (such as Gym leaders). There is also music and video games referenced which I do not own - although a fair share of the creative things in this story will be fictional, such as the band Vagabond of the Revolution, so they kinda belong to me. I'll generally trend more towards fictional books and songs/bands, and existing video games.

**Next Chapter**: Ree explains to Whippy her 'predicament', with mixed results. Maybe calling him her baby daddy wasn't the best of ideas. Past that, after a frigid night with her own body heat, Ree resolves to capture another, warmer, pokémon for her team.


	2. Of Fluff

"Watch out for Nigel. He just evolved and I think it went to his head." Scott didn't look up from his game, brow furrowed in concentration. Ree lounged on the couch, debating the merits of distracting him.

"I haven't seen him yet. What do krookodile look like?" she asked, closing her eyes. Damn, she was tired. They'd stayed up too late last night playing video games over wifi.

"A lot bigger, for starters."

"That doesn't help me. Seriously, what do they look like?" She rolled over onto her stomach, tugging on his blond hair.

"Red and damned annoying. Stop it! I need to get one more on my kill streak—hey!" She had leaned over him, obstructing his view of the screen with her hair. He flopped onto his side and resumed his video game playing. Ree huffed and sat back on the couch. "Just be careful around him. He's been into _everything_."

"Well, he's half dark, right? They're supposed to be evil and shit." She flipped out her phone and idly looked through her texts.

"Since when are you a pokémon expert?" he asked, arching an eyebrow, though he was still facing the TV. "He's always been pretty well-behaved, and always loyal. He's just getting used to his new size and power. Pokémon do that when they evolve."

"Psh, whatever. Aubie's always been an evil little shit. Whoa!" Scott finally turned around and found his girlfriend and his krookodile staring at each other. Nigel was now large enough to easily see over the back of the couch, and he grinned down at her, showing off his new teeth. "Nigel, you got big."

"Kroo!" he responded and reached down. He picked her up and lifted her over the back of the couch. She shrieked and flailed uselessly. Nigel cackled madly, smirked at his trainer, and carted her off.

It was a testament to their relationship that Scott dropped the controller and vaulted over the couch after them.

-.-.-

**Chapter Two:** Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Fluff

-.-.-

"Well, that sucked. How did you sleep?" Ree could hardly stand up straight the next morning. She dimly remembered being sore on past training adventures, but never _this_ sore. She didn't dare entertain the fact that she was getting old at seventeen.

"Vee," he groaned, stretching languidly. Apparently, much better than she had.

The sun wasn't high enough to poke up over the trees, so they were stuck with a pale, weak light source. It was pretty, though. In a way. Ree shrugged off a couple of her layers and switched shirts, stuffing the rest back into her backpack with the remainder of her meager belongings. At the next town, they'd have to do a little bit of inventory shuffling. "Okay, let's be responsible and get water first."

"Sni!" he agreed. He paused to yawn, showing off his sharp teeth. Sharp teeth that could cut and rip and kill, probably. Killing meant dead things. Dead things meant food.

Ree's stomach growled, even if that was possibly one of the most disgusting trains of thought she'd ever had. "Water and actual food." She dug around in the front pocket, pulling out one of her granola bars. She had it half finished before she remembered that she should probably feed her poor, sick, injured pokémon as well. "Oh, yeah. Here." She withdrew his bag of pokémon food and tossed it to him. It was meant to last three meals. It lasted one.

Somehow, she wasn't surprised. She was, however—and pleasantly at that—when he managed to keep it down. He played with the empty bag, giggling madly, until she took it from him. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Sni!" he said with a wide smile.

"Good." She had no idea whether or not that was a yes, but she would keep assuming she had mad pokémon communicating skills until he did something to prove her wrong. She slipped her backpack on, picked leaves and grass out of her hair, and retied her ponytail. She felt grimy and disgusting. "Okay, now we're looking for a source of water. Preferably running water, but at this point, I'm not too picky..."

"Snivy?"

"You know, water? Drinking? Bathing? Swimming?" She pulled her empty bottle out of her bag and showed him.

He shook his head with a flat, "Vee." She shrugged and gave up.

"Well, we have to find water, anyway. I'm thirsty, you probably are, and I think it'd be best if we wash out that thing on your side. Actually, just bathe in general." She looked over at her shorts, still hanging on the branch. "...And wash those."

"Sni," he said, scrambling up her calf. She shivered at the sensation of the little claws moving up her body. He wasn't hurting her, but she would have to get use to him using her body as a ladder. "Vee-vee snivy-sni."

"...Okay?" They wandered aimlessly for awhile, until the sun was higher in the sky and the light was better. Still no water, however. They chatted just as arbitrarily, even if she was fairly certain it was getting to be one-sided. He had long since dropped the nodding and shaking of his head, except for emphasis.

Eventually, the newbie trainer remembered the map built into her pokédex.

Whippy laughed at her. She brushed him off her shoulder. He started it, after all. She slid the little device open and tapped on the map icon. The built-in GPS homed in on them immediately, and from there, it was a simple matter of zooming in a bit to find a little blue line snaking around off to the west. Ree looked up at the sun. Thankfully, it was still low enough for her to recognize the fact that they were traveling east.

"Okay, this way!" She turned on her heel and marched off in the correct direction. Whippy trotted along behind her until he was sure it was safe enough to clamber back up. "Are you always gonna be this lazy? It's gonna be awkward when you evolve."

"Sni!" he replied happily.

"...You know what? No. Get off. You're supposed to be _training_ so we don't get our asses handed to us by the next preteen with a bug." Ree plucked him off her head and set him back on the ground. "You can move fine and you're not sick anymore. I'm not saying you have to go Ganon on everything you see, but if we come across any wild pokémon, you're beating them into the ground."

"Sni, vee-vee?" he asked with a pout.

"Yes, really. You gotta get stronger! Remember, we're going through this in—oh." She remembered then that she hadn't explained this journey to him yet. She grimaced and glanced back down at the map. Their little icon had hardly moved. They definitely had time before they got to the water.

She looked around once for any inconvenient trainers, and upon finding none, crouched down and picked him back up. He looked at her questioningly.

"I'm only carrying you while I explain this—outline our journey. Then you're going right back down to battle random wild things, mister," she said sternly. He nodded, eyes lidded. "Okay, so... I mentioned that time limit earlier. The one you don't like."

He hissed in answer, tail quivering against her arm.

"Right. Well, get over it." He stopped and looked up at her with a kicked lillipup expression. "I don't like it either, Whippy. But it's not up to me."

"Snivy?"

"It's, well..." It was embarrassing, frankly. "I'm pregnant, and I want to do this before I'm done with it."

He looked at her, uncomprehending.

"You know, pregnant? Have a baby?" He tilted his head, still lost. Ree sighed and rolled her eyes. "I'm going to have an egg." His eyes immediately snapped open fully and he gasped, only half stifling it with his claws pressed up against his mouth. He slithered up onto her shoulders and curled around her neck, making that weird growl-hiss sound again. He then whined and slid down into her arms again, using them as a place to stand.

Setting his paws against her chest and looking up into her eyes, he finally said, "Vee-vee! Snivy-snivy sni, snivy-vee vee-sni snivy!"

"Wow, that's um, nice. Now if I could only figure out what it fucking means."

"Vee-vee!" he cried, nuzzling into her neck.

"Hey, it's okay..." She had no idea why he was reacting like this, though. "It's not like I'm in danger or anything? I'm just knocked up. I figure I can only be a couple weeks along, so we have just under nine months to get eight badges. That's about one a month! Not hard at all!" she soothed, petting him.

"Vee-vee..." he whimpered again. She continued petting him. She didn't know what else to do.

"...So, um, anyway. A badge a month. And later on, it'll be awkward. I'll be needing to piss every five minutes, I'll probably have morning sickness, weird cravings all over the place, but hey, at least I won't be bleeding from my vag every month," she said cheerily, prying him from her neck so he could see her smile. He stared at her flatly, unconvinced. "Trust me, you don't want me as a trainer when I'm PMSing. It's nasty. I'm bitchy enough as it is, but it's terrible then."

"Vee-_vee_," he growled.

"Look, I don't know what you're saying! It's all gibberish to me."

He sank down into her arms. He pressed his claws up against the top of her stomach, looking up at her.

"What?"

"Snivy-snivy sni."

"...I don't know what you're saying." It was frustrating. They were going to be a team, and they had a language barrier. She knew that most trainers learned how to converse with their pokémon over time, but she wasn't sure she had enough time. Translators were expensive, too. She had some money in the bank—which she'd have to access soon, since her wallet was pathetically empty—and might be able to swing one or two of the cheaper ones, but she already had to buy more supplies...

He jumped out of her arms and trotted along beside her as they made their way to the stream. He made sure to battle any wild pokémon they came across, easily beating a patrat and a purrloin, even beating a pidove. He still refused to take directions from her when battling, she noted.

"So what, now you're playing white knight?" she asked after awhile. He grunted in reply and climbed up a tree. He was a very good climber, she noticed. It was almost like he was just sliding up the trunk. He jumped from branch to branch, a little less elegantly, but he only fell once. She let him do what he wanted, just so long as he stayed within her sight. "Oh, my hero."

He disappeared into the leaves, blending in effortlessly. A couple of moments afterward, there was a shrill squawk and he and a pidove burst out of the branches. He slammed it into the ground with his tail, landing on top of it. It was unconscious upon impact. He nudged it a couple times, and then pointed to it.

"Congratulations."

"Sni?"

"Uh..."

He picked up its wing and dragged it over to her. She realized that it was dead. He was trying to give her food. "...Are you doing this because I'm pregnant? Because I don't need you to play papa for me."

He dropped the wing and hung his head. She winced and tried to think of a tactful way of refusing him. She was fine with living off of the land, but she'd rather direct the hunting a bit more. She looked down at the dead bird, its wings splayed awkwardly, its little eyes closed. Her heart clenched and she had to look away.

"...Thank you," she mumbled.

He beamed up at her and picked up its wing once more, offering it to her.

"But... Augh, I just don't... Water first." She stepped over them both and continued following the little map towards the water. He whined but followed her anyway. They fell into silence; she didn't know what to say, and he seemed confused about her behavior. "Whippy, it's not that I don't want food from you. I'm probably gonna ask for food a lot and I'm glad you can do that. But... Pidove are so _tiny_. Try to go for something bigger next time, or wait until I can help."

"Snivy?" he asked incredulously.

"What?"

"Snivy?" he repeated, uselessly.

"...Yes, I want to help," she guessed. He huffed and narrowed his eyes, and she realized suddenly that he was trying to be protective. For real this time. "Hey, don't go babying me. I'm fine."

He pointed to her stomach.

"This isn't a disease! I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself!" She looked around wildly for something to defend herself from. She came across what looked like a puff ball (albeit with leaves), a couple trees down. It seemed like it was sleeping. She kicked it and sent it squealing into a bush across the clearing. "See! I can take care of wild pokémon on my own!"

He was not impressed. "Snivy sni-snivy, vee-vee." He crawled up her leg and clung to her hip, patting her stomach. "Sni-vee-vee!"

"I don't even... I give up."

"Snivy sni-snivy," he repeated, all too smug. He slid back down her leg and headed back into the trees. She let him run around once more, although still kept out a sharp eye for him. She didn't want him getting hurt again, or reopening his wound, or anything else like that. Or passing out from dehydration.

It took another two hours, but they found the stream. It was a merry little thing, varying from a mere foot to several yards wide. They waded around in it until they came to a section where the current was slower, and Ree hooked her shorts around a rock downstream so they could rinse out.

Whippy joyously splashed around in the water, although she learned fairly quickly that he wasn't the best swimmer. She made him stick to the shallows after that. She started peeling off layers to join him, and promptly came upon one of the issues of training that no one gets warned about: nudity in front of your team (and in the middle of the woods).

She caught him watching avidly as she stripped off clothes. Maya had told her that some wild pokémon weren't "clothes trained", which meant that they thought humans were taking off layers of skin when they changed their clothes. Ree narrowed her eyes at her snivy. He wasn't freaking out, but was he supposed to? "Hey, do you know what this is?" she asked, holding up her shirt.

He nodded, eyes still large.

"Then why are you looking?"

"Vee-vee snivy snivy," he replied.

She sighed and decided to circumvent any questioning by leaving on her bra and panties. He seemed more curious than anything else, but he didn't need to learn about human anatomy. _Not to mention the fact that he's a dude_, she thought, poking at the water with a toe. It was cool, bordering on cold, but she felt foul and needed to scrub sweat and dust off. She sat down cross-legged next to her pokémon in the shallow water, allowing him to help her rinse off. And by helping, he splashed.

It took awhile and they were both shivering by the time they were done, but she finally felt clean again. Of course, her hair was another story. Without any sort of cleaning solution, she was left with worse than a wet cotton ball. She also had the problem of wet clothes. She wrung out her shorts as best as possible and hung them on another branch to dry while she changed again. Underwear was one thing, but complete nudity was quite another; she made him go off hunting while she quickly took off the rest of her clothes.

She heard Whippy return and hastily used the shirt she was holding to cover herself. "Hey, I told you—" Ree turned around and found that it wasn't Whippy. It was a redheaded girl in an oversized, neon purple sweater. Ree couldn't help but blink a couple times, adjusting to the loud color—and then reality ensued once more. The girl gave a small scream and covered her eyes, turning as red as her hair, and Ree screamed in response, stumbling backwards. "What the—get out of here!" she barked, pressing the shirt up against her body.

"S-Sorry! Oh gosh—oh my gosh—I'm so sorry!" With that, the girl turned and fled.

Ree stayed like that, heart racing, face red, more or less completely nude in the middle of the forest. She learned a very important lesson then. Change fast, become utterly shameless, or find better changing spots than out in the open next to the only water source for miles. She pulled on a shirt so fast she ripped the hem around the neck after that.

By the time Whippy came skidding back onto the scene, she was fully dressed again and calmly messing around with her phone. It was completely dead, probably having died during the night, which meant she was on her own until the next town. "Vee-vee? Snivy snivy-vee sni-vee?" he asked frantically, looking around.

"It was nothing." It wasn't hard to guess what he was asking about. Ree flipped the phone shut and slipped it back into her pocket. "Just ran into another trainer. She didn't stick around to try to battle us."

He crawled up her leg and hung off her hip, the jeans there giving him the perfect traction for doing so. He patted down her stomach. "Snivy vee-vee..."

"What, you were worried about the baby?" It sounded freakish referring to her still flat stomach as a baby. She cringed and tried to get him off and into her arms. "It's okay, Whippy. I'm fine. I think I can handle being on my own for five minutes without dying or some crazy shit."

"Snivy..."

"Relax. Let's go get walking again. We have to head north to make it to the next town." He jumped out of her arms and padded alongside her once more, but that didn't last too long. He was soon up in the trees again, scaring wild pokémon and having fun with his stealthiness in the foliage.

Her stomach started growling after a little while. And, like some sort of psychic, he appeared out of nowhere with another dead pidove in his claws. With a self-satisfied grin, he offered it up to her. Ree was still unsure what to make of his hunting, but she knew that she was hungry.

"Uh... Okay then... You know, humans can't eat raw meat. We're gonna have to stop and start a fire. Somehow." She looked down at him, and wondered if she should have gotten a tepig instead. At least then she'd had access to fires. Or an oshawott—then she could have water whenever. Granted it would be more or less vomit water, but at least it was water.

What was the advantage to having a grass pokémon, then?

Maya had proudly told her that her snivy had managed to pick out plants for her. Non-poisonous ones, and eventually could even tell what was non-poisonous to a variety of other pokémon, not just himself and his trainer. But that had also taken months of practice and plenty of experimentation. Other than that, grass was just another type. One that didn't help her cook raw meat.

"Stop killing pidove. We can't cook it until I pick up a lighter in the next town." She jammed her hands in her pockets and looked anywhere but at the bird. Whippy cocked his head to one side, puzzled. "Fire, we still need that part." More confusion. Ree sighed and held out her hand, wiggling her fingers. "I can't make fire appear in my hand yet—still working on that life skill—but you know, flames? Hot? Red and orange and yellow?"

"Sni?"

"Well when you decide to get curious and singe your whiskers off—or scales, or whatever—don't come crying to me. You'll learn what it is soon enough."

They followed the little stream northward, or at least as far as it went before veering off west again. Ree made sure to stop and refill her water bottle, get another drink, force Whippy to do the same, and dunked her shirt in the cool water one last time as well. The day was beginning to get warm—not that her snivy minded. When he wasn't bouncing through the trees, he was draped across her shoulders, sunning contentedly.

Ree was grateful to get back into the forest, though. Even if it was harder to navigate (especially without a trainer path), there was shade and more pokémon to battle for practice. She had to yank him out of a couple of fights he picked with bigger opponents—hissing and spitting at an unfezant was _not_ his smartest idea of the day—but overconfidence aside, he did rather well for himself.

Overall, though... It was _boring_. She wished she had at least brought along her mp3 player or something, if only for some noise. There was faint birdsong just about constantly, and the crunching of grass and twigs and who knew what else under her shoes, and occasionally the shriek of whatever Whippy found, but it was still a lot quieter than what she was used to in her life. Scott's house was always loud, and while her own home was silent during the days, she always had music and Aubie to liven it up.

She tried singing a couple different times, with different songs and different beats. Each brought Whippy skittering back to her, though; he probably thought she was in trouble. "I'm just _singing_! I know I'm not like, great at it or anything, but it's not as if I'm screaming bloody murder." No matter how she explained it, though, he would do the same thing every time. It was easier to just give up.

She wasn't sure if he was being protective, or loyal, or if he thought she was killing small creatures.

Her growing boredom and mutinous thoughts of giving up _already_ were thankfully taken out by their arrival to Accumula Town. The orange of the sunset set the town in a bit of a glare, but she was simply glad to see buildings again. Humanity and indoor plumbing! She broke into a jog when she spotted the telltale red roof of the pokémon center, unable to help the grin spreading across her face. A bed, and a warm room, and _food_.

Whippy scurried along at her heels, eyes larger than normal as he took in the city around him. Ree scooped him up just as they reached the center, its sliding glass door squeaking as it opened, oh so welcoming, for them. She all but sobbed in relief. "Vee-vee?"

"It's a pokémon center. We can stay the night here, and wash _properly_, and they have food, and dear lord, indoor plumbing. I have to pee like a Hoenn rapidash. You have no idea." Whippy looked up at her, clearly having none. Ree strode over to the counter and dropped him in front of the nurse. "He was poisoned and has bites and probably hungry and first time here and where are your bathrooms?"

Nurse Joy blinked, temporarily taken aback by the rush of speech. "Oh, um... The restrooms are to your left and just around the corner. This is your snivy?"

"Yeah. Could you take care of him while I go there like _now_?" She danced from foot to foot. Her bladder seemed to have recognized the fact that she was in a building now, and was getting even more impatient. Nurse Joy blinked once more and nodded in a dazed fashion. Ree was off like lightning.

After emptying her bladder with a probably too-relieved sigh, Ree washed her hands and looked over herself in the somewhat dingy mirror. She looked _lovely_. Sticks, leaves, and mud in her hair, dirt and a smear of blood—where had _that_ come from?—on her face, clothes ripped and dirtied and wrinkled to hell and back. She picked what she could out of her patrat's nest of a ponytail. Her face was easier, with a couple of splashes of water as a decent cure. At least the blood wasn't hers.

She ducked past a little redheaded boy in the hallway, somewhat discouraged by how late of a start she had on training, and retrieved Whippy from the nurse. "Your snivy will be fine. He has mostly recovered from the poisoning, although I did give him a small dosage of medication to make sure he gets it all out of his system," she said brightly.

"Ah, thanks," she replied, patting his head. He grinned up at her. "That's... all?" She had no idea what to actually do in a pokémon center. She heard they were free for trainers to use, but should she offer to tip? Make a donation? Did the medication cost anything, or was that under normal healing procedure? Ree exhaled and looked back up at the pinkette. "Hey, can we get a room for the night?"

"We?" Nurse Joy echoed.

"Oh, me and Whippy. Just me, as far as humans go." This was already getting confusing. She realized that she hardly knew the social intricacies of the training world.

And then she remembered that she didn't care.

"Ah, I see. Just double-checking." She bustled over to a computer and started typing. "Looks like... We do have a couple single rooms open still! That's a relief. I always hate turning away trainers, especially as it gets dark. Hmm, I'll just give you 160. It's just down the hall to your left there, and it should be on the left side. How many nights are you going to stay?"

"Just one," Ree answered automatically. This wasn't a gym town, so after some rest and cleaning, there wasn't any reason to stay.

"Ah, good. Centers have such high turnover rates for guests, but it really is a good thing, since we have so many guests to begin with... Dinner is served until eight, so you still have plenty of time to feed yourself and your snivy. Breakfast starts at five-thirty and goes until nine," the woman chatted on. A couple more keystrokes, a scan of her trainer card, and she was given a card key for room 160. She bade the nice nurse an awkward goodbye and ran for the cover of her own room.

It wasn't like her _own_ room, of course, but it was still hers for the night. That was good enough for her. Whippy slithered out of her arms and landed lightly on the floor, and she nearly tripped over him in her haste to get to the bed. Ree laid down face-first and sighed. It was so comfy. So much better than rocks and dirt and grass. "Vee-vee?" Whippy asked, concerned. He scrambled up onto the bed and sat on her back, smacking the top of her head lightly with his tail.

"It's comfy," Ree said blithely.

"Sni?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be productive..." It took entirely too much effort for her to push herself off of the bed, but the thought of a shower spurred her on. She shrugged off her backpack and flicked on the radio on the nightstand. She caught the last couple bars of Daydreamer Syndrome's big hit before it switched to commercials, but it was pleasant noise nonetheless. Whippy looked up at her, confused by the sounds. "Hold on, Whippy. It's just music—the radio. Lemme start my phone charging and then I'll give you a bath."

He hissed at her, baring his razor teeth and forked tongue. Ree rolled her eyes. She was already used to him to the point that that hardly fazed her.

"I wanna clean that wound out again, even if she did give you some medicine or whatever. Infection isn't fun to deal with. Trust me on that one," Ree told him importantly as she tried to reach under the nightstand to get to the outlet. Finally, she hooked the charger in, and her phone beeped as it powered on. No doubt she'd have a million and a half messages, but they waited over a day. They could wait another hour.

She picked him up and made for the bathroom, hooking her toes in her ankle socks and pulling them off as she did so. She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and shook it out, combing her free hand through it a couple times, and set him on the sink. Not that she'd wash him there, but she wasn't stupid enough to give a pokémon a bath in her clothes. At least, not if she wanted them to stay dry.

A little sign over the towel rack politely requested, "PLEASE CONSERVE WATER. If possible, please try to save water! Bathe with your pokémon teammates! We also try to save water in washing. If your towel is on the floor, we will give you a new one! If you'd like to re-use it, hang it up. -Thank you!" Ree frowned.

One day out in the wilds, and she already learned how valuable water was. And now she felt guilty for thinking about giving his own bath, too. She knew that a lot of trainers taught their pokémon to learn to like showers, as opposed to baths, precisely for that reason, but she also knew the dangers. Anything with claws and teeth and a potential hatred of getting clean, plus a naked, defenseless human body?

"Hey, do you like warm or cool water?" Ree asked, turning back to her snivy. He cocked his head to one side in confusion. She sighed. "What_ever_. I really don't give a shit at this point." She tugged her jeans down and tossed them out into the main room, shirt rapidly following it. Whippy didn't give her a second look and instead jumped down onto the toilet, which thankfully had its lid down. Not that she thought he was stupid enough to jump into it if it hadn't, but that would have been hilarious.

Whippy jumped down onto the floor and sashayed out of the bathroom with his snout in the air.

"...And where do you think _you're_ going, mister?" Ree asked, narrowing her eyes. She grabbed him by the tail and dragged him back before he could get too far. He hissed and snarled and swung at her, but she kept him out of range of her body. And who said humans were inferior to many types of pokémon? She kept a firm grip on him and started the water in the bathtub. She figured warm would be good for a grass pokémon.

When it had about an inch of water in the bottom, she lost her patience with trying to hold him. She dropped him into the shallow water.

He looked about him, surprised by the water there. He sat down.

And then bolted back up with a cry-like whine. He scrabbled at the edge of the tub, which was nearly as high as he was, still cry-whining. When he couldn't get any purchase on the smooth surface, he turned to his trainer, teary-eyed and panicky. Ree, more than alarmed, picked him back up in what was probably filling her sympathy quota for the night. "What's wrong?" she cooed, still worried, and stuck her other hand in the water. Warm, probably a step or two above lukewarm.

"Vee-vee, snivy-snivy sni?" Whippy cried, hurt in his tone.

"It's just water. You were in it today already!" she replied and tried to set him back in. He cried harder and clung to her skin and bra. Ree scowled and wondered if it was too hot for him. Grass pokémon had a weakness to heat and fire, but that water was very far from hot. It was the only lead she had, though.

She turned it to full cold and swirled it around with her hand, mixing the temperatures together. She'd heard that young pokémon were like children, but really, this was ridiculous. _Maya_ had behaved better as a child, and that was saying something. When it was significantly cooler and probably deeper than it should've been otherwise, she shut the water off.

"Okay, you big baby. It's cold now, see?" She flicked droplets off of her fingers at him. He nodded wonderingly and loosened his hold. Taking advantage of his momentary weakness, she dunked him.

He flailed and screeched, but more on reflex than anything else; when he noticed the temperature, he calmed. "...Sni." He waded around, using his tail as a rudder. Ree sighed in relief.

"Good. Okay, now c'mere." She grabbed him once more, which he didn't like, but he relaxed again when he realized she was just untying the bandages from around his middle. She dropped the sopping, dirty bandages in the trashcan and inspected his wound. "Ugh, we're gonna have to get more medical things. Definitely lots more bandages. Some antidotes for common types of poison would be useful, too, especially since you're a grass thing..."

"Sni," he agreed, trying and failing to float on his back. Ree let a little of the water out so he wasn't up to his neck. He then surprised her by sitting down in the water and running his claws and snout over his scales, as if cleaning them himself. Aubie washed himself, but he was also a feline. Ree set her elbow on the edge of the tub and put her chin in her hand, watching him curiously.

"Want a bit of soap? It'll get you cleaner."

"Sni?" Whippy looked up at her with large eyes.

She grabbed the tiny bottle on the sink counter, twisted the seal off, and squirted some into the water. He splashed at it experimentally, but once he realized that it made bubbles, he was a lost cause. She supposed she ought to be lucky that getting him clean would be that easy in the future. "I'll let you... just do that. Be careful with your side, though. It's mostly healed over, I guess, but the last thing I want right now is for it to get ripped open again."

"Sni!" he sang in response. Ree got back to her feet and let him do his thing. She wandered back out into the main room, unsurprised to find her phone blinking at her with new messages. Four texts and two voice mails. Not as bad as she'd been expecting. She sat on the bed and idly went through the texts. All of them were from Scott, three from yesterday and one from that day, and all of them wondering where she was. She winced when she remembered that she had promised to hang out with him again prior to leaving.

Oh well. She was in this for the long haul, so guilt over that sort of thing would have to be taken care of, and quickly at that. Keeping an eye on her snivy in the bathtub, she listened to the voice mails. One from Scott, again asking where she was, and one from her mom with a similar question, although it sounded like she had assumed that she'd gone over to Scott's.

It'd be easier to explain to her mother. She hit the callback and held it up to her ear, and it hardly rang once before her mother demanded, "Ree Majors, where in the world are you _this_ time?"

"Uh, Accumula for the night," she answered bluntly.

The woman on the other end paused for a long moment. "...What?" she finally settled on.

"Another training endeavor, but mom, this time, I am _going_ for it. I got a new trainer card and a starter already. I left yesterday."

A static-y sigh. "Ree... Honey, I thought you quit those. It's been two years since you last tried. Almost three years."

"...Well, what kid ever gives up the dream of becoming a trainer?" Ree asked with an awkward chuckle. She flopped back onto the bed, savoring the softness of the comforter. "I know I've done this, like, a shit ton of times before. With varying results. But I'm trying again, and trust me. This time, I'm _serious_."

"Why this time?" her mother humored.

Ree hadn't thought that far ahead. It wasn't like she was going with the truth; that was part of the reason she'd left in the first place. "Uh... Well... Um... With Maya gone... She's just so successful as a trainer, and it's like, totally inspiring?"

"Did you two have a fight?"

"No! That's not it. H-Hey, uh, mom, I got a snivy like she had. I did the lab route and everything. I was just... I had to get out of the house. One of those things." It was telling that that was all the further excuse she needed.

"...You couldn't have left after your father and I got home from work? I know you're used to pulling these stunts, honey, but you could still say goodbye when you leave."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"And obviously you didn't say goodbye to Scott, either..." her mother deadpanned. Ree groaned and covered her eyes with her free wrist.

"No. It was just a real sudden decision, I told you. And then my phone died."

"If you're serious about this training thing, try to keep your phone charged. You'll need it in emergencies. Or! Get a phone with a better battery, like Maya, or get an electric pokémon and one of those special collars for them, but anyway, just make sure it doesn't die too often like that. Phones are more important when they're the only way you can call for help."

"I know."

Her mother sighed, sensing her advice had fallen on deaf ears. "So then... When will we get to meet your new pokémon?"

"Oh. Well, I figured I'm just gonna give this training thing a good run, straight through. If I visit home, I'll just stop, like I normally do."

"That's not a bad thing... Your momma likes having you around the house, and even Maya visits from time to time."

"I know, mom," Ree grumbled, rolling over onto her stomach. When she caught sight of the bathroom again, however, her breath caught. "Oh shit—! I gotta go mom! Love you, bye!" She shut her phone and tossed it behind her, missing the bed, and ran into the bathroom. Without supervision, Whippy had frothed the bubbles and water into a column nearly to her shoulder. Not much had spilled out of the tub, but that was her only mercy.

"Vee-vee, snivy!" Whippy exclaimed excitedly from somewhere within. Ree couldn't see him. She thrust both arms into the suds, reaching blindly for him, until she came across the leaves of his tail. She grabbed hold and pulled him out, putting him on the toilet with a stern look.

"Whippy, _no_. This is a mess, and messes are _bad_." She looked back at the leaning tower of bubbles. "Fucking shit, Whippy. How did you even _manage_ to get it that high?"

"Snivy sni!" he said with a proud grin.

At least he looked clean.

Ree sighed heavily and put him in the sink, rinsing the last of the bubbles off him until he was squeaky clean. She threw a hand towel at him and sent him out into the other room. She ran the water, warmer, and that started cutting them down from below, while she tried to corral the rest of the tower with the shower curtain. It was mostly successful. She closed the door, ignoring the pitiful look he gave her at being shut out, and stripped off her bra and underwear.

She took a scalding shower, both for stress relief and to get the grime off, and played with the dying remains of his tower. Second night, in the second city, no badges, one pokémon. Her parents now knew of her journey, and didn't seem too mad. That was good. Whippy was in good health again, so that was good, too. She'd call—actually, texting sounded safer—Scott later and tell him of her journey, or at least get in touch with him. Maya would be a little harder, but she was sure her parents would tell her. She had just quit another job, so there wasn't anything to take care of there, and she was done with school, so aside from a couple other friends, her obligations were met.

That was good.

After scrubbing at least two layers of dirt and one layer of skin off, Ree finally felt clean again. Her hair, unfortunately, wasn't terribly fond of the cheap, generic stuff they offered at centers, and rebelled thoroughly. It even managed to snap two tines off of her brush.

Ree groaned and opened the door, and found Whippy on the other side. Still wrapped up in his tiny towel, still looking like a kicked lillipup, still where she had left him twenty minutes ago. "Vee-vee?"

"Hey, wanna help me brush my hair?" Ree asked brightly.

She sat down on the floor in front of the bed, just in a towel, and he seated himself on the edge of the bed with her brush. After showing him how, he proved to be adept at it, if only because he had the muscle and angle for it. Ree was sorely tempted to make this a tradition; it was nice to have someone else brush her hair for her. Made her feel like a princess.

"Think I should cut my hair? It'd be less of a hassle to deal with," she remarked.

"Sni?"

"Make it shorter. Less hair." She didn't know how else to put it, even though he still didn't understand. A lot of female trainers had short hair, and it _would_ be far easier to deal with. "Hmm. Maybe tomorrow, if we have time..."

Ree put on her pajamas and grabbed her dirty clothes. It was only one outfit—and those shorts—but she wasn't going to waste the opportunity to do laundry. She was on her own, so she had to be responsible. Whippy tagged along, running at her heels, although he quickly got bored of waiting once they put it in. "Vee-veeeeeee," he whined, draping himself across her lap.

"I know it's not fun, but I don't want anyone running off with my stuff," Ree replied. "If only you knew how to go fetch us food... Actually." She eyed the snivy in her lap. "Whippy, you stay here, okay? You guard that machine and don't let anyone touch it. That one's ours. I'll go grab us some food before the dinner thing shuts down, and we can eat while we wait, okay?"

"Sni!"

She set him on the bench and made sure he stayed there. He did. Ree backed out of the room, keeping her eye on him, until she was out the door. He probably understood her directions, but so far, he wasn't too keen on following them. In battles, anyway, but who was to say out of battles would be any different? That, mixed in with the boredom factor, probably gave her very little time.

She got weird looks for her attire, but she also wasn't the only one in sleepwear. After asking one of the assistant nurses, she found the dining hall, on the other side from the store and down a hallway. Buffet-style set-up, of course, and it was far from luxurious, but it _was _free. Ree was intensely aware of the fact that she hardly knew what Whippy liked and didn't like as she went down the line. She opted for a wide array of foods.

She picked mostly things she liked herself, just in case she ended up eating it, but did get him a bowl of the pokémon food she'd been given when she started out. At least he liked that stuff. Some raw vegetables, a couple pieces of watermelon, three pignite pork chops, some sort of unidentifiable sandwich, and a cupcake. There was a pasta salad too that she had been eying, but the bitch in front of her took the last scoop. Ree made sure to glower at her as she marched out.

In the laundry room, sure enough, Whippy wasn't at his post. He was on top of the washing machine, hissing at an older male trainer with brown hair. The guy seemed more amused than intimidated, but still kept his distance. "Whippy!" Ree snapped, catching his attention. Her snivy sat back on his haunches with a pleased little smile. "Get down. Back on the bench, and then you get your food." She looked over the other trainer. Older than her, average looking. Not cute enough to warrant an apology, especially since he had been creeping on her snivy and washing machine.

She ignored him and sat down on the bench, pointedly next to her machine. It only had fourteen minutes left on it, but she didn't want to lose those minutes. Whippy eagerly took a pork chop before she could say otherwise and ate it in his claws.

He looked up at her with a guarded expression. Ree handed him a tomato experimentally, and he ate it in one bite. He didn't seem to mind it, but much preferred the meat. She made him try just about everything she brought. Or meant to, until he got his own ideas. A couple trainers filtered in and out with their own laundry, but no one paid attention to another girl and her pokémon.

Ree got a lick of frosting—the bit she managed to swipe with a finger—and that was all she saw of the cupcake. He even tried eating the wrapper. "What, so you suddenly have a sweet tooth?" she asked archly. He nodded.

-.-.-

"Shopping!" she reminded herself. It was the only way she'd get out of bed. Whippy, at some point during the night having migrated down towards her feet, jumped up and flailed under the covers at the sound of the alarm. "Ow! Stop it, Whippy—it's just my phone," she growled, throwing out her arm and managing only to knock it off the nightstand.

At least it got her up somewhat on time. Ree yawned and pulled the covers off of her snivy. He immediately calmed.

"Nngh, let's go. Wait—dressed first." The plan was to go shopping for supplies (slightly more practical ones at that) and then head out. She wasn't looking forward to sleeping out in the woods again, but hopefully, this time around, there would be a fire involved. Or another pokémon. That would be nice.

She threw on a clean shirt and her jeans. Whippy watched avidly as she laced up her shoes, trying to help at one point, but she shooed him away. She scooped him up and carried him out the door, down to breakfast.

He once again demonstrated a penchant for sweet things, stealing all of the chocolate chip pancakes she managed to snag and leaving her the plain ones. It was alarming how easily he caught on to what would be sweet and what wouldn't be, based on sight—or was he smelling them?—alone. "Hey," she said, mouth full of pancake.

"Sni?" he asked, all wide eyes and innocence and chocolate around his mouth.

"Did they feed you human food at the lab? You seem pretty accustomed to it." He shook his head. "Oh, so you're just naturally spoiled, then."

Whippy grinned up at her.

Ree rolled her eyes and finished her breakfast. She'd used the strategy 'stuff your face now because you won't get another decent meal like this in a few days', and tried to get him to follow. But now she just felt bloated and fat. "Ugh, and this is what I'll feel like _all_ the time in a couple months," she recalled sourly.

Whippy slithered up onto her shoulder and perched there as she took care of their trays. After going back for the rest of her stuff and turning in her key, they made their way over to the shop attached to the center. It was mostly just for pokémon supplies, but she needed those, too. She made sure to get extra antidotes.

"Huh, right. I still need to withdraw some cash," she remarked, sitting in one of the center chairs as Whippy helped her stuff their purchases into her abused backpack. She was lucky she'd had enough on hand for pokémon stuff. "And get some item capsules, too, if we can afford a couple." She hefted her backpack, shoulders complaining, and sighed. "This is fucking ridiculous. How do little kids run around with half their lives on their shoulders?"

"Snivy sni-vee-vee," Whippy said smartly, and clambered back up onto her shoulder.

"Ohh, no you don't. Get down. Down! You're walking!" Ree said, wiggling to try to shake him off. That didn't work, but he obediently hopped down anyway. "You need the exercise, and this is too heavy already. Remember, you're not the one carting around an egg-to-be in your belly, either."

His eyes widened impossibly, and he made grabby hands up at her. "Vee-vee, snivy!" he cried.

"What?"

"Snivy!" he repeated, still making the grabbing motions.

"...What, you want to carry my backpack for me?"

"Sni!" He bobbed his head. Ree burst out laughing. She punched in her pin number and withdrew all of her savings, ignoring his pleas for the backpack. Well, until he climbed up the denim of her jeans and tried to pull it off of her. "Vee-vee, snivy _sni_!"

"Hey!" She nearly dropped her money as she shook him off. "Careful! Don't do that, Whippy. You can't carry the backpack, and besides, it's too heavy for you!"

"Veeeeee," he whined.

"You want one? _You_ buy one." He dropped onto the ground and eyed the fistful of cash. Ree shook her head and crossed her arms. "Oh, no, this is _mine_. I earned this from jobs and shit. You want some money, you get it yourself." After his look sharpened, she realized that she had an easy way out of this before she became some sort of bank for him. "Okay, tell you what. You win battles, and I'll give you part of the prize money. Then you can get whatever you want."

"Sni!" He made the grabby hands again.

"Fine," she sighed and handed him a single bill. He looked as if he'd received a winning lottery ticket.

And then he crumpled it up and ate it.

"...I'm not even surprised."

They wandered around the open-air market towards the other side of town. It was just barely early enough that it wasn't too crowded yet. Ree had to double check (frequently) that he didn't get separated from her, but he was doing a good job of sticking close to her.

She spent most of her money, but she ended up pretty pleased with what she had made out with. Three item capsules, which freed up quite a bit of space in her backpack—one and a half for clothes, and one for food. She kept the other half empty for now, just in case she needed the space later. Ree also got a couple more practical items of clothing, as well as a blanket.

Most importantly, she got a lighter and some fairly non-perishable food. Finally, they could eat again! And cook.

As they were leaving the market, a used book stand caught her eye. They were down to pocket change, but she managed to snag a couple of cheap books. Impulsively, but there wasn't wrong with that. Or so she told herself.

"Okay. Phone charged, got a lighter, got some new clothes, and it's not even noon yet. I feel really accomplished," she remarked, and then pointed out west. "Off into the wilds we go again!"

Whippy skipped ahead, eager to get going. They very quickly lapsed into their old routine: she would keep to the path and he would explore the area around it, battling wild pokémon and occasionally bringing her macabre gifts. There weren't as many pidove around, it seemed, but she did have the traumatic result of having to bury a purrloin kitten, sobbing as she did so.

He stopped bringing her dead things after that.

There were more trainers out on that route, and to their delight, not a single one of them had a poison type or a bug. Whippy took care of them spectacularly, still not listening to her instructions, though a young lass with an audino tired him out. An angry tranquill knocked him out entirely (and probably would've killed him had Ree not chased it off), and with that, Ree grudgingly returned to the town they had just left.

Accumula was a little busier in the afternoon, with more people milling about, but it was still a small town. Ree waited impatiently at the pokémon center for him to heal, glaring at the couple trainers she recognized from the route. Several of them glared right back. "Your snivy has been fully healed!" the nurse behind the desk chirped, handing her the pokeball. "Just be careful with type disadvantages, alright?"

It was _his_ fault for pissing off wild pokémon he had no chance again. "Yeah," she grunted and stalked out. They had lost valuable time doubling back like that, and it was already nearly two in the afternoon. And they were back in Accumula. She released him and he smiled up at her. "No more fighting tranquill! Or unfezant. Stick with pidove, if you have to, but be careful, okay? If we're deeper into a route, we won't have the time to double back to the last town, and what if I run into a dangerous pokémon then, huh? In a couple months, I can't very well waddle away from a liepard!"

Properly chastised—well, no. She missed that mark. He looked positively _morose_.

"Ah, jeez. I didn't mean to get you all mopey..." Ree planted her fists on her hips and glowered up at the bright sky. "Just be more careful! I know this is gonna be tough and shit, but it doesn't mean you have to throw yourself headfirst into every fight you see. You gotta be protecting me, too. Especially when I get fat."

"Snivy!" he said and saluted.

"You protect us, and then you can be the daddy, okay? We don't need Scott taking care of us. You're tough enough," Ree mumbled, squatting down to pat him on the head. "I'll be the dumbass mommy, you can be my baby daddy, and maybe we can go catch a sister or uncle or something. I'd feel better with another teammate, at least, wouldn't you?"

He gave it a great deal of thought, eyes narrowed to slits. Finally, very reluctantly, he admitted, "Sni."

No idea if it was an agreement or not, but she still said, "Okay, good." Just to make sure he was on her side, she bribed him with a slushie, getting one for herself as well. She picked him out a green one and a blue one for herself.

He was at first put off by the coldness of it, but once he discovered the flavor, he was all too into it. And naturally ended up covered in bright green and incredibly sticky. Ree managed to talk a teenage boy on the route into giving him a soaking with his palpitoad, but Whippy still ended up covered in dirt and sticks and leaves.

"Don't get too far ahead," Ree called warningly. They were further than they had been the first time around, and she definitely didn't want to have to go back again. The sun was lower in the sky, but they still had a couple hours of good light left, and she wasn't going to waste them.

Whippy used his impromptu camouflage as just that, giddily sneaking up on wild pokémon and trainer alike. It got them into quite a few battles, but he wasn't as tired as he was before. If anything, she guessed, he was on a sugar high. Maybe giving him a human-sized slushie had been a bad idea.

_Actually, that was a bad idea all around_, she mentally chided herself, wrapping an arm around her stomach. It hurt, and she felt nauseous. She was slowing down, she could tell, but Ree wasn't about to give up. Walking wasn't bad. Just... slowly.

She was also trying to keep an eye out for another pokémon to catch. She had been eying the lillipup running around the route, mostly. They were soft and furry and mammals, so they'd be _warm_. Plus, canines were loyal, and it'd probably listen to her as a trainer. But Whippy kept most wild pokémon away from her, and by the time she came across him battling, it was usually just about over.

"Whippy, stop. We're trying to catch a teammate, remember?" Ree asked, leaning against a tree. She felt like she was about to throw up, but her stupid stomach couldn't decide whether or not it wanted to commit. Which was even worse. "Ugh. Fucking hell... You know what, go out and grab a pokémon and drag it back here, okay? Alive and relatively unhurt!" she called after him as he ran off into the taller grass.

Ree sighed and lumbered after him. It wasn't the first time she had given that order, and she'd rather not get corpses or a foongus spitting poisonous spores at her again.

The grass was nearly waist-high to her. She tried to stick near trees, since it was _slightly_ shorter there, but she wasn't one for hiking through the undergrowth right then. She nearly tripped several times, always just barely catching herself on a branch or a trunk, and once nearly stepped on a broken pokeball.

"I'm never going off the beaten path again," Ree swore, kicking at the grass in front of her. "Whippy! _Whippy_, come back here!"

And then she finally tripped.

Ree landed on her face and hands, awkwardly bent over some sort of shrub. Swearing into the dirt, throat burning as her stomach protested this latest change, she was mightily surprised when the shrub moved.

It pushed her off and she landed on her butt, hastily sitting up to stare at the wild pokémon she'd just managed to piss off. And without her snivy in sight. It wasn't quite a shrub, and instead more like a large cotton ball, she decided, but a mad one at that. "Scott," it said.

Or maybe she had fallen down the buneary hole and she was going crazy. Ree stared at the little imp with a cotton ball for a back. It looked like Maya's old toy.

"Whim!" it snarled, shaking a stubby arm at her. Ree sighed and pressed a hand to her chest.

"Just a pokémon. Don't scare me like that, I thought I was going insane," she told it just as Whippy came slithering up, empty clawed. Ree eyed the creature before her. Possibly an evolved one, but it was soft and fuzzy. White and brown with little green horns, so it could have been pretty much any type, but it was just... so soft.

Ree wanted it.

"Whippy, tackle it!" He caught it by surprise and sent it into the tree behind it. It squealed, more from rage than pain, and threw him away. He charged at it again, but this time, it was ready. It hopped over him, impossibly lightly, almost as if it was flying. "Shit, is it a flying type?" Ree scooted back out of the way as her snivy used a vine whip to grab hold of it, pinning it against the tree for another tackle.

It viciously chewed on his vines, but he kept it still.

"Wait—Whippy, stop!" If he just held it for her, then she could at least try to catch it. Ree set her backpack in her lap and rummaged around, finally coming across one of the minimized pokeballs at the bottom. "Okay, go." She watched with only mild interest as he squeezed it and smacked it with his tail a couple times. When he started to go into suffocation territory, though, Ree tossed the pokeball.

The first two broke, but after a headbutt to the stomach that pushed the last vestiges of air out of the poor thing's lungs, the third pokeball stopped rocking and dinged softly.

"Sweet ass, we have a teammate!" It was anti-climactic, a low-key battle, and hardly adrenaline-inducing. But it was hers, and their first joint victory. Ree fumbled for her pokedex and plugged it in, waiting impatiently as it loaded up the information. Whippy crawled over and seated himself on her lap, his pointed snout blocking half the screen. "Stop it, I'll read it to you. Okay, it's a lady! Girl whimsicott, huh. Two and a half feet tall, eighteen pounds, blah blah blah. Teammate! Fluffy, fluffy teammate!"

She released the whimsicott as she scanned over the rest of the information given to her. Grass type, which annoyed her. But at least she was soft. And already evolved, apparently, as well as a couple years old already. Experienced, then, which should help offset any weaknesses. A little. She hoped.

"Whim," she said flatly, crossing her little arms.

"Snivy," Whippy said suavely, sidling up to her. She smacked him away, unamused. Ree watched them, thinking about a nickname already, thanks to the prompt from the pokedex. "Sni, snivy," he tried again, this time taking a submissive approach.

"Si-si-si," she giggled, tripping him. He fell gracelessly onto his face and she burst out into even higher laughter. The whimsicott cast an eye over at Ree appraisingly. "Whimsi?"

"I'm your trainer," she said firmly. "My name is Ree, and this is Whippy. You're gonna be our teammate from now on!"

"Whim," she said with a long-suffering sigh.

"...I'm gonna nickname you, 'kay?" To her surprise, the whimsicott sat down on her fluff and nodded, crossing one stubby leg over the other. She looked quite lady-like. "Hmm. You look like Maya's old toy she had as a kid."

"Scott?"

A shudder went down her spine. She was out training, away from home, pregnant and on her own. She didn't want to be reminded of his name, no matter how legitimate it was a word for the newest member of their team to be using. Goddamn those stupid pokémon language barriers. "...No. Definitely not that." Whippy and the whimsicott both looked clueless. "Argh, I can only think of Maya's dumb doll. She took it with her everywhere. Do you wanna be named after a doll?"

"Si," she said with a titter.

"She called the dumb thing Lala. You still sure?"

"Si." Ree honestly had no idea whether or not that was an agreement, but she was in charge, and it sounded like one.

"Okay, so, easy name. This team is gonna have the stupidest nicknames, I swear, but at least I'll be able to remember them," she mumbled, typing away on the pokedex. It beeped, signaling the acceptance of the name of Lala. Ree rubbed her stomach with a frown, flipping the machine shut. "Whippy and Lala. I'm such a fucking genius with names, I swear." She groaned and set her forehead on her knees, wishing her stomach would allow her to get back to her feet.

Lala prodded her in the side, making her jump.

And then throw up on her.

Whippy howled with laughter, rolling onto his back helplessly. Lala, with a whimper as she processed what just happened and what the blue stuff she was coated in _was_, started bawling.

The sun set as the three of them sat in a painfully shallow pond, scrubbing out her fluff. Whippy tried to help, but his claws got stuck on the cotton-like fluff and ended up tearing chunks out. He was delegated to fetching things. "And my shampoo! It's the green stuff!"

He came back with a blue sock.

Ree sniffed and scrubbed harder. Once Lala had lapsed into tears, she hadn't been far behind. Her whimsicott was still crying softly, shocked and betrayed and who knew what else. Ree felt like a terrible trainer, but it hadn't been her fault. Really! They managed to clean her up, but the blue dye stuck. After some hectic and confusing discussion, in which it was established that Lala did _not_ want blue fluff, Ree got out her knife and started hacking.

Lala was mostly dried by the time they settled in for bed. Ree had gotten a blanket, and they both huddled under it with her. Karma rolled right around to bite her in the ass, however, when she realized that whimsicott (especially shorn) weren't mammals either, and she was stuck with another freezing night.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Team Ree heads out towards their first badge and next town. First, Lala has to get prepped on the premise of their journey, while she and Whippy bicker over who knows what. Ree can't keep up with them.


	3. Of Gold

Scott strummed on his guitar. Ree laid back, wiggling her foot in time. He was trying to get a song written or something, she wasn't paying a whole lot of attention. He was still in the planning stage, so he was liable to change his mind at any moment. Finally, he struck a familiar tune, and began, "You are my sunshine..."

"Scottie," Ree groaned, burying her face in the nearest pillow.

"My only sunshine," he continued, absolutely unperturbed.

"You're being embarrassing," she grumbled, rolling away so that her back was to him.

"You make me hap-_py_, when skies are graaaaaay," he sang happily, and then set his guitar down so he could slide onto the couch. He wrapped his arms around her stomach, messing with the hem of her shirt. "What, you don't like my singing all of a sudden?"

"Your singing is awesome. But you're too... sweet. You'll give me cavities and have me die of shame!" Ree declared, curling further into the couch. He only snuggled in deeper behind her. "There isn't enough room for both of us. Off my couch."

"Come on, you're warm. You didn't mind being this close last night," he murmured, sighing against her hair. "Your ponytail is itching my nose."

"Your nose itches, my hair can't."

"No, it's itching it."

"It's making it itch!"

"...Maybe." He pulled her flush against his chest and moved so that he was using her hair as a pillow. "I like you."

"I like you too. Now get the fuck off my couch."

-.-.-

**Chapter Three**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Gold

-.-.-

"Oh fucking hell _run_!"

Lala was worse than Whippy when it came to teasing stronger opponents. She was also faster, though. By the time he realized anything was wrong, she was bouncing past him, laughing hysterically, with an unfezant or pansear or red-faced trainer on her heels. And they always loyally came back to Ree.

It was easier to run.

They had been together for a full day. Whippy was handier with his vine whip, and even beat a tranquill. Granted, through dumb luck, but still. It went straight to his head. Lala was a pretty strong battler already; she was fast, ruthless, and creative. She took Ree's orders during battles as suggestions, but it was better than the snivy, at any rate.

More amazingly, Lala's fluff had almost grown completely back in. It hadn't been down to the skin or anything, but now you could only see a soft dent where she had been partially shorn. The pokédex didn't help at all on that front, but she figured since she was a grass type, it meant she grew fast. Or something. Ree was just glad that her poor whimsicott wouldn't have to suffer any longer than she had to.

Once Ree remembered her lighter, lunch consisted of a disaster. She wasn't a chef, but she could navigate a kitchen fair enough. Cooking a dead patrat over an open flame? That was not a kitchen. She had been smart enough to skin it, although it made her throw up and Whippy had to finish it for her, but that was about the extent of her cooking freshly-dead-things knowledge.

Lala wouldn't touch it when she was done, and Whippy refused to let Ree eat it. It was only _after _the corpse was charred black and crispy that he managed to convey that it was a good idea to remove the internal organs. Most of them weren't edible or healthy.

Ree buried the remains of the poor patrat, and they had soup instead.

"At least this is easier," she remarked. Maya had been right; while it did take a bit of training and explaining, grass pokémon were adept at finding edible plants. Not having enough foresight to get anything more than some utensils, they were also lucky to find a tin can along the path. She knew enough how to sterilize it, but she wasn't all that squeamish, anyway. It was better than nothing.

Lala came back with tiny handfuls of some sort of leaf, and Whippy brought back bright red berries. Ree saved those for desert; berry soup didn't sound particularly appetizing. She had no idea what sort of flavors they were creating, and ended up dumping half a package of ramen into the can, along with a baseline for seasonings.

Then they figured out that while they had successfully made a meal, they only had a hot tin can as far as serving went.

Ree sighed and flopped onto her back. "Damn it. Remind me to get some sort of set of camping dishes in the next town."

-.-.-

Ree ran for it, Whippy at her heels and Lala bounding ahead. The trainer behind them shouted after them, his klang screeching. She had no idea whether or not they were actually being chased, but she wasn't about to take her chances.

Lungs and throat burning, the chase was abruptly cut off as she tripped. Tumbling into the undergrowth with more than enough swearing, Ree finally hit a tree. Rubbing her thigh where it had been scraped with a branch, she turned and glared back at Lala, who giggled. "I'm gonna miscarry yet," the trainer groaned, folding her hands over her belly. She had been in basketball and had been fairly active (when she wasn't addicted to video games for days on end), so she figured she could get away with some amount of physical exertion. But tripping and tumbling and falling on her face so often _couldn't_ be a good thing.

Whippy caught up, hissing for breath, and collapsed at Lala's feet. He was bleeding from a scrape on his cheek, though he didn't seem to notice. Ree made a sympathetic sound and gestured him over, digging out her bandages and antiseptic.

"Lala, I know it's how we met, but you can't trip me. And it's _not_ an accident—I'm not stupid. This is the second time today." The whimsicott looked innocent and hopped over. Ree held Whippy still between her legs as she wiped at the scrape with the medicine. He thrashed, and probably could've won if he'd really been trying, but knew better. At least one of them did. "Don't be like that. You _can't_ be tripping me."

"Whim?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"I can't be falling. Fighting through the forest is bad enough, but I can't have you making it worse." Ree looked up at her, just then realizing she had another explanation to do. "Ugh, fuck. Well, Lala, I'm pregnant."

She just stared at her.

"You know, have an egg?" Ree said wearily.

Lala's expression didn't change.

Whippy huffed and cried, "Snivy sni!" Lala still didn't react, though she frowned down at him. It was only then that Ree recognized her expression. It was too obvious she simply didn't _care_, but understood perfectly. Whippy caught on as well, and hissed at her.

"Scott," she replied dismissively, waving an arm at him.

"Snivy!"

"Whimsi," Lala said with a mean little laugh. "Si-si-si."

"You two, cut it out. No fighting, you're teammates. We're supposed to love and trust each other, right? And then save the world with the power of friendship." Ree paused in putting away the bandages as he slithered out of her grasp. "Well, we can skip that part. I don't give a damn. But you two are _not_ going to fight this entire journey. You only have to stand each other for eight and a half more months."

"Snivy, vee-vee?" Whippy asked, looking back at her.

Ree zipped up her backpack. Contemplating. Lala wasn't a bad pokémon, definitely not. Just a little mischievous. Whippy wasn't bad, either, just a little unruly. She was pretty sure they'd learn to get along in time, or perhaps with another teammate to act as a buffer, but... The time limit. After nine months, she'd have her eight badges, and a small _thing_ in addition to a pokémon team.

_Then_ what?

She had no idea what she was going to do. She was too young to be a mother, really, and she knew she wouldn't be a very good one. Adoption was probably the easiest route. But how did that work? Did they just pick someone at the hospital? Did she have to track someone down on her own? Was there payment involved, did they take the baby right away, were they there in the delivery room? Did she name it or did they? Was that negotiable? Was any of it?

Ree looked over at where her grass pokémon were fighting again. No, not fighting, but arguing. Bickering, really. She'd have eight badges and a pokémon team. They were almost as bad as small children. Scott still had his team, even though he'd quit, and Maya was still out traveling... They already had Aubie as a house pet, and she _really_ couldn't see either of them as a pet, anyway. What would happen to them? She hadn't planned on having the rest of her life spent with a team she got for a nine-month goal.

She sighed and got back up to her feet. There went her mood. "...Well, come on, guys. Back to training and heading towards the next city." She consulted her pokédex's map. "Striaton City."

"Sni!" Whippy cried, disappearing into the trees once more. Lala, she found, preferred to stay on the ground, even if she hopped and floated everywhere. The main problem was that branches, sticks, leaves, dirt, _everything_ ever got into her fluff. It often hampered her movement in the more densely forested areas, so they usually stuck to the path, except then there were far more trainers for the two to bother and piss off.

Still, Ree felt sorry for her whimsicott as she got stuck on a thorny bush she tried to leap over. "Come on." She plucked her out, picking out the twigs and thorns, and carried her back to the path. Lala took the attention stoically, perhaps a little unsure. She tossed her back into the dirt path, marveling at how easily she floated down to the ground. She wasn't super light, and in fact was heavier than Whippy, but her fluff acted as a sail or kite or something. Or maybe a parachute.

"Whimsi," Lala replied gratefully, and then bounded off to bark at a herdier. Really, she _barked_ at it, doing an astounding job at mimicking it. The canine, shocked, took a couple moments to start barking back. But soon, they got into a howling match, before Whippy came running up and tackled the herdier.

"Uh, yeah, I challenge you," Ree said flatly. The other trainer gave her a dirty look. She shrugged. She was only following her pokémon.

He released a sandile to even the odds, though in her defense, Lala had only been antagonizing, not attacking. And really, a ground type against two grass pokémon? The odds still weren't terribly even. Lala disposed of it quickly, using mega drain until it fainted, and then tossed out a couple leech seeds at the herdier.

Whippy, not expecting the interference, was nearly hit by one and jumped back. He hissed at her, sharp teeth bared and tail quivering. She snorted and ignored him, trying to move in to attack, but he batted her back with the broad side of his leafy tail. Affronted, Lala smacked him.

"Guys, stop fighting each other!" Ree cut in savagely, just as the herdier threw itself at Whippy and sank its jaws into his shoulders. He squealed and flailed, scratching and kicking, but couldn't get the leverage necessary to get free. He was shook like a rag doll and spat out. He laid there, dizzy and bloody. Ree stamped her foot with a growl. "I told you! Would either of you _listen_ to me for once?"

"Glad to see I'm fighting some trained pokémon," the other trainer deadpanned, unimpressed by the exchange. Ree spared him a withering glare. "Okay, quick now! Before the snivy gets back up, Willar! Take out the whimsicott with a bite!"

It charged at Lala with a snarl. She danced out of the way with a giggle, tripping it as she did so. It rolled back to its feet, faster than she had anticipated, probably because this wasn't another tiny little lillipup she was fighting. This was an evolved pokémon, and a trained one at that; she was too inexperienced with legitimately experienced pokémon. Its jaws clamped down on her.

Well, they clamped down on her fluff. She tore it away and shook her hips, sprinkling a fine, golden powder over the herdier. It trembled and shook its head, but its movements seemed sluggish. "Okay, good!" Ree called encouragingly. As Whippy staggered back to his feet, shaking his head, the herdier spat out the mouthful of wet fluff. "Use another mega drain now!"

Lala nodded and didn't follow her humble suggestion. She charged at it—just as Whippy went in for a tackle, too. The herdier leapt out of the way just in time for them to collide with each other. That set them to bickering and spitting at each other once more, allowing the herdier time to regain its footing and aim for a single target. It jumped at them both, obviously not caring which it caught, and started clawing and tearing at them.

"Good job! Keep wearing them down! The snivy's almost down!" the other trainer said, pumping his fist in the air. Ree glared at him. Her snivy was certainly _not_ almost down.

And then Whippy fainted.

She recalled him, embarrassed and annoyed, but she wasn't worried. The herdier was tiring, and the leech seed was taking its toll. Lala, if anything, seemed to be _playing_ with it. She used small absorbs here and there, easily running circles around the paralyzed canine. It fainted a tortuous (and even more embarrassing, since Ree was shouting orders and Lala smoothly ignored them) time later.

"You must be new," the male trainer said, reluctantly handing over a fistful of cash.

"Yeah, but I still handed your ass to you," she spat defensively. She called Lala back and picked her up, smoothing out the patches of missing fluff.

"No, I just meant... Your pokémon don't seem to behave very well."

"...No, they don't."

"No badges, huh?" Ree shook her head. The male trainer offered her a smile. "Well, pokémon usually listen a bit better after you get a couple. Striaton's not far from here, are you going to challenge the leaders for one?"

"Yeah, that's the plan." Ree shifted Lala and shoved the money in her pocket, deciding it was better to be friendly when she wasn't holding the loser's earnings in her hand. "...Any tips?"

"Are those your only pokémon?"

"Yeah."

He laughed. "Get another pokémon." She frowned, and he caught it and elaborated, "The gym leaders there are different; they use whatever they had an advantage against. They'll traditionally use the advantage against your starter, so varied teams are okay. And you'll be okay with the first pokémon. They all have a lillipup, too."

"Ugh, just fuckin' great," Ree moaned, glaring up at the sky. She hadn't been keen on foreknowledge on her previous trainer journeys, and of course had never gotten as far as a gym. The only type she knew of was Elesa's. "...Any other tips for the poor, unprepared newbie?" she asked, pushing out her bottom lip. The effect was a little lost since she towered over the teenage boy, but at least she could pretend to be cute for information.

"Um... Lenora's _really_ tough. You either have to get a fighter or just try to muscle past her. You can usually beat the first gym on raw power alone, though, so maybe it won't be too bad for you. They only have two pokémon, at least, so you're not outnumbered."

"Lenora's the second, right?"

"Yeah. I only have those two badges, so I can't help you past that. But yeah, she's super tough. Train a _lot_ for her." Ree nodded, hoping she'd remember the tips. Not that they were supremely helpful, but they were something. Lala wiggled in her arms, getting bored of the mundane conversation, and she let her go. The whimsicott bounced off. As she turned to go, the other trainer caught her arm. "Oh! Don't forget—ressentiment means hatred and jealousy."

"Okay—_what_?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Just remember that, okay?"

"Uh, whatever. Okay." She shrugged him off, and went chasing after Lala. Whippy was unconscious, and he'd probably wake up in an hour or two without a center (or water to dunk him in), so she'd rather keep an eye on her only protector for awhile. It took a little searching, but she soon found Lala taunting a liepard and its two purrloin kittens. The feline didn't seem at all interested in the cotton ball in front of it, but reigning in two very curious and excited kittens was another matter entirely.

"Si-si-si."

"No." Ree scooped her up and backed away from the liepard. It seemed grateful. "Focus on trainers, okay? They give us money and information. Or, focus on _single_ wild pokémon, and not birds or bugs or fire things. Do you even _know_ you have a weakness?"

She puffed up her chest and exclaimed. "Whimsi! Scott!"

"Of course you don't."

They didn't make it to Striaton until the evening of the next day. The only reason Ree didn't quit at sundown was because her icon on the map was already practically in the city, according to it. By then, Lala and Whippy had fainted several times each, they had enough money for a meager restocking of their supplies, and they were all thoroughly exhausted. Ree left her two pokémon with the nurse on duty and immediately went to the mess hall. They only had a couple minutes until it closed, and she wasn't about to miss dinner.

She came back out to pick them up with a sandwich she was munching on. They saw the food and immediately demanded their own share. Ree picked them up, one under each arm, and dragged them back into the mess hall. "That sandwich had been _mine_, you little tepig. I had only been munching while I waited for you two slow asses."

Ree made her biggest training mistake yet: allowing two hungry pokémon into a buffet area.

They were kicked out rather quickly. Ree had managed to snag another sandwich and an apple, at least. Whippy was covered in chocolate, and Lala had gotten some sort of gravy or sauce in her fluff. It was only after they retreated shamefully into their room that Lala pulled out several food items she hid in her fluff as well.

They ate on the bed and she introduced them both to the wonders of television. They were mostly amused by cartoons, so she left it on one of those channels as she finished her second sandwich. The apple would either be a late night snack or breakfast. She wasn't sure if they'd be let back in to the mess hall by then. "I think this show is called... Fuck, I can't remember. I haven't watched cartoons like this in forever."

"Sni!" Whippy said with a full mouth. Lala had had enough grace to share some of her contraband with him, and he didn't have enough grace to save anything relatively sweet for either of them. The sweet tooth was a definite feature, Ree noted. She hadn't had enough time to really see what sort of things Lala had eaten, though, except maybe not meat.

"Whim?" Lala asked, catching her trainer's eye.

"Do you eat meat? We haven't managed to cook any out in the wilderness, and I'm not sure if you ate any tonight or not," Ree asked bluntly.

Lala shook her head and stuck out her tongue. "Scott, whimsi-_cott_!"

"Okay... That's a no then." Ree wiped the crumbs off the bedding as best she could, and then made a chair out of pillows. There was plenty of grass and berries and who knew what else out in the forests, and Lala had been wild long enough to learn how to eat on her own, naturally. But it meant she probably wouldn't be a lot of use hunting or killing things, except maybe to chase things. She certainly liked chasing things.

Ree closed her eyes, thinking hard. Two pokémon, and that kid had recommended she get another. She didn't want to specialize like Maya. She heard _far_ too many horror stories about the troubles of having a mono-type team. Lala had mostly been an accident, in that vein, but she couldn't afford to do that again. She had to get something that wasn't a grass pokémon. Lillipup were common, as were purrloin and pidove. Their evolutions were seen occasionally, although they were far stronger. They had also started to see more exotic pokémon in the area around the city, like timburr and garbador, as well as the selection in the trainers. They weren't coming across newbies with a lillipup or patrat anymore. Well, at least not all of the time.

Training wasn't any more difficult than she expected. More disgusting, sure, but not all that hard. She already had two pokémon who won almost every battle, and she was in the same town as the first gym. She hadn't even been out a week yet. Even if it took a couple days of some hardcore training, this was definite progress.

Third pokémon, first badge, supplies needed... She felt so responsible, suddenly having actual issues of her own to work out and worry over. Just to drive the point home to herself, Ree made herself a list. "Let's see... Um. Dishes! Right. Guys, what else do we need?"

"Snivy!"

"Scott!"

"...Right," she said, turning back to her scrap of paper. "Dishes, and, um... More noodles, I guess. Maybe a cookbook, or no—a trainer's cookbook. I need to learn how to butcher meat..." The bile rose in her throat but she swallowed it back down. "Oh god. I can't believe I actually just said that. ...A trainer's handbook would be nice, though. I think they'd have something about cooking in there. And rules. The more I know about them, the more loopholes I can find."

Dishes, trainer's handbook or cookbook, and food. Ree grinned at her list, proud of it. So responsible, doing her own shopping and everything.

She settled in for the evening soon after that. Changed into her makeshift pajamas, she adjusted her pillow-chair into something more comfortable, and got out one of her books while the two continued watching silly cartoons. It looked like it was something about weird ponyta, only they had hair instead of fire for manes. Some even had wings and horns. "Just so long as it doesn't rot your brains," she murmured, flipping her book open. It was a cheap romance novel, but it was one of her (many) guilty pleasures. And hey, no one was around to police her and give her looks for reading such things in public.

Not a chapter later, she had a snivy in her lap and a whimsicott up against her side, demanding to be read to. It had just been getting to the good part—coincidentally, the part she was _not_ going to read to them—and with annoyance, she shoved her list into the book as a marker. She dug another book out of her backpack.

"Sni?" Whippy pouted, gesturing between the two books.

"That one's not for little pokémon. This one..." It was _No More Dead Skarmory_. Probably not the best book either; it was sad. And dead pokémon were the last thing she wanted to think about, even if she loved the story itself. "Um. It's a happy little story about these two Skarmory. They're friends! Sophia and Sari, and they live long, healthy, happy lives." Blatant lies. But neither of them knew any better.

-.-.-

"Heh, I'll never know why the trainers say gyms are _hard_," Ree scoffed and puffed out her chest. She strutted past a waitress, Whippy and Lala at her heels. There had been a handful of gym trainers, not necessarily super difficult on their own, but Ree had figured out the trick to beating the gym; head back to the center in between battles.

She got dirty looks for it, but she knew the other challenger that day had been doing it too, so it was perfectly legal. And while pokémon centers could only heal so much, it was more than enough to keep her team up and running, raring to go.

Three teenaged boys were the leaders, but Ree wasn't worried. She had foreknowledge. "Alright, which one of you am I beating into the ground today?" she asked flippantly, arms akimbo. The three exchanged glances, then looked down at Whippy, standing next to her foot.

"The snivy is your starter, right?" the green-haired one asked.

"Yeah."

"Alright! Then you're fightin' _me_!" the redheaded one cheered, leaping to his fight. The two behind him sighed, though at his exuberance or the fact that they didn't get to battle, she didn't know. "The name's Chili, and I'm the fire type master of this gym."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just send out your Pokémon." A lillipup and a fire pokémon. The first would be a piece of cake, which would probably leave her two very healthy pokémon. Even with a disadvantage, she would have numbers on her side. Ree wasn't worried.

Chili sent out a Lillipup, just like that trainer had said. Ree's spirits rose even higher and she lazily gestured Whippy into the rather small area they'd battle in. She _was_ a bit surprised they'd be battling _in_ the restaurant, but hey, it was their building. They could wreck it however they wanted. "I'll let the lady go first," Chili said with a flourish.

Chivalry wasn't dead, but it was still annoying at times. With a twitch, and having given up on giving him actual orders, she commanded, "Get 'im, Whippy." Faster than the canine could react, he threw himself at it, biting and slashing with claws and tail alike. The lillipup had claws and teeth as well, of course, and at the gym leader's order, fought back with equal ferocity.

The two broke apart, nursing minor wounds, and circled each other warily. "Work up!" Chili declared. The lillipup hopped in place, prancing from paw to paw, working itself into an interesting state. Panting, hackles raised, pupils huge, Ree wouldn't have been surprised if it started foaming at the mouth, too.

The redheaded boy seemed a little confused that Ree wasn't giving orders. She would let him think it was some sort of strategy; she wasn't going to let any of them know her pokémon didn't like to listen to her in battle. Even if they won the battle, that was just embarrassing.

Whippy launched two vines out of the leaves on his shoulders, catching the lillipup by surprise. He flung it across the small arena, racing after it and leaping on it the second it touched the ground. It fought back again, though its bites were significantly more powerful this time around. By the time her snivy noticed, he had taken a couple rather nasty ones. He ended up flinging it away with his vine whip and took a moment as it skidded away from him, chest heaving, bleeding from several bite wounds.

Ree still wasn't worried. And thankfully for her ego, Whippy proved to be at least able to learn. Instead of attacking it directly again, he ran away whenever it came close, whipping it with his vines whenever he could. It bit his vines several times, but it could only bite one at a time; no matter what, he still managed to hurt it.

"Snivy-snivy, vee-vee? Snivy!" he said, turning to give Ree a sharp, haughty grin over his shoulder.

"Just concentrate on the battle," she said, rolling her eyes.

As if to prove his superiority, he reached across the small arena once more and tossed the lillipup into the air. It chewed viciously on his vines, but it couldn't keep hold of them, and was thrown back to the ground. It fainted with one last whine.

"Cocky little snake, isn't he," Chili said with a strained smile, returning his canine. He tossed another pokeball back and forth in his hands as Whippy strutted in front of Ree, all arrogance and triumph. "Well, let's see how you two handle _this_!"

He released a small, red simian that she immediately recognized as a pansear. It trotted about in a little circle, playing with the tuft of fur on its head, taking in the situation. It was about the same size as Whippy, and didn't have any flaming parts on its body; that wasn't quite as bad as she had been expecting. Which was weird, because she had seen pansear before. She was just imagining something worse for a gym leader's pokémon. She had sort of been demonizing her opponents, overestimating what they'd turn out to be.

"Incinerate!"

Of course, it was still a fire pokémon, and it still had the advantage. Whippy fainted with a low moan, still clutching at the burnt and charred scales on his belly as he fell. With a sigh, Ree returned him. It wasn't as if that was _her_ fault. He didn't listen to her anyway, so it didn't matter if she was lost in thought and wasting valuable time. "Fine. Come on out, Lala." One to one. Lala was the bigger pokémon, even without her fluff, and probably faster. But again, that disadvantage... "Lala, be careful! It's a fire pokémon, and I know you don't care, but this is an important battle, okay!"

"Whi," she said with a wide yawn.

"Look here, you little shit—"

"Incinerate!" The attack command cut across the beginnings of a bickering, probably mercifully. Lala easily danced out of the way, though she seemed surprised at the scorch mark it left on the arena floor. She yawned again, smaller this time, and seemed to think. "...Okay, while it's off guard! Work up!"

"Not that move again," Ree groaned. "Lala, _do_ something! Start off with some of that paralysis powder or something! Slow it down so it's easier to dodge—you can't fight fire with fluff!"

Lala turned around and snarled at her. Clearly she took it only as a challenge. As the pansear pumped itself up, swinging its scrawny arms, she jumped to her feet and dashed around the arena. Both it and Chili were surprised at her speed, especially since she was trying, but it wasn't soon before the pansear was trying to follow her with bursts of flames. She was quick enough to dodge or leap over whenever it tried to lead her, but it couldn't keep up otherwise. Ree and one of the other color-coded gym leaders ducked behind a table for cover as the attacks got a little crazy.

"You're not going to advice it?" the blue-haired boy asked seriously.

"...Nah, she's got this," Ree said in embarrassment, ducking around the table to avoid his judgy side-eye. Lala threw a trio of seeds at the pansear, a leech seed. She realized that her whimsicott _did_ have some strategy in her head; she purposefully threw her three leech seeds dead-on. The middle one would hit if there was no dodge, and one on either side would take care of slow, but basic dodges.

The pansear wasn't that slow, though. It threw itself to the side, missing all three, and started panting again with another work up. Its fur puffed up further, and Ree could see little waves of heat coming off of it. It still couldn't keep up with her speed, but all it took was one shot. One trip, one lucky attack, one misstep... Ree was beginning to get a little nervous.

"Lala, _please_! Use a stun spore on it! Slow it down some more!" Speed wasn't a replacement for accuracy, but it definitely wouldn't hurt to put a bigger gap in between their speeds.

"Scott!" Lala said with a roll of her eyes. She skidded to a stop and shook out her fluff, coating a large part of her corner with a fine, golden powder. She then rolled in it.

"_Lala_!" Ree shrieked, unable to comprehend why her fluffy grass thing had just done that. It didn't seem to take a huge toll on how fast she was moving, leading her trainer to give a mighty sigh of relief. She shook it off as she ran, sprinkling little patches all around the arena, though both pansear and whimsicott quickly found out that the powder was highly flammable. The pansear threw an incinerate at the corner where she'd rolled, and the remains of it went up in a plume of bright yellow flames.

"So your already weak _grass_ pokémon, with highly flammable cotton on its back, just rolled around in dust that would make it even _more_ flammable," the blue-haired one said, puzzled. Ree irritably shoved him out from behind the table.

Lala sprinkled more of the powder around the arena, and while the pansear seemed to amuse itself by catching larger patches on fire, neither of them seemed to be doing the whole hurt-the-other than was the staple of battles.

Finally, the inevitable happened: the pansear got lucky. It managed to lead Lala just enough to catch up with her, and with a burst of fire, the attack caught her fluff. She screamed and rolled to the ground, patting it out, making another pile of stun spore all around her. She got up and ran again as it fired a second attack at her. She didn't seem to be hurt, but scared, and definitely more serious.

Still shedding gold, Lala fired another trio of leech seeds. The pansear managed to dodge again, but just barely. She circled around and trailed more golden dust. If anything, she was making _more_ of it. Chili sneezed and took a step back from the arena, shooting Ree a confused glare. She shrugged. Hell if she knew.

But then, as Lala continued to circle around and force the pansear, who wanted to maintain a distance out of her pathetic array of semi-long-range attacks, to back up, Ree realized that her whimsicott was totally (and secretly) a genius.

Due to the work ups and constant flame attacks, the pansear was pretty hot itself. And Lala had just spent the last several minutes wasting their time by getting stun spore all over the arena.

The pansear stepped onto one of the larger piles of dust and immediately hopped back, howling in shock and pain, as it alighted in flames. Lala grinned savagely and took the opening, firing another set of leech seeds, two of them making contact. It scrubbed, trying to get them off, and partially dislodged one. But then they set, and Lala turned to Ree with an overly smut, "Whimsi? Si-si-si."

"So it had been deliberately setting a trap..." the blue-haired gym leader said. Ree pushed him out from behind the table again, then climbed out herself. She stood up again and tried to act like the confident, proud trainer she was supposed to be.

"Just because I'm not shouting orders doesn't mean I can't battle," she said airily. She set a hand on her hip and gestured vaguely with her other. "It's all about trust and confidence in your team. Just because you have the advantage..." Lala shot a leech seed into her leg. It didn't take hold, but it stung like a bitch and sent her to the floor with a growl. "You fucking bitch, get back in there and fight before I wipe the floor with your face."

"...Um. Try to watch your language?" Chili said after a pause, clearly unsure at how else to handle the situation. His pansear didn't really need further direction, still trying to catch Lala and avoid the dusting of stun spore all around, and she was simply dodging and biding her time until the leech seed began to effect it for her.

Clever and incredibly lazy, if not potentially sadistic. Ree started to wonder about her whimsicott, just a little. The pansear managed to catch her once more, once again in her fluff and not harming her actual body (though her fluff was amusingly lopsided once more, and much of it was blackened). Lala ventured close enough to be able to absorb from it, which she did, but it was still taking a long time. She shook off more stun spore in smaller and smaller circles around it, though she backed off after nearly getting an incinerate to the face.

"Come on, pansear! You only need to hit it once...!" Chili groaned, tearing at his red hair in frustration.

Lala swung her hips, deliberately strutting slowly past, some of her fluff still glowing with tiny embers. Ree made a carry on motion. May as well let her win the battle her way, especially if her suggestion of using stun spore was what started this drawn-out example to begin with.

"...Just put it out of its misery already," she mumbled as Lala sashayed past.

Another absorb, and another couple moments for another pulse of the leech seed to steal a bit more life, and the pansear collapsed. It wasn't unconscious, and hissed flames at Lala to prove it, but the fight was pretty much won. She circled around it so it couldn't breathe fire at her, and then with a leap, sat down on it. It finally fainted, and for a moment, Ree couldn't help but think that Lala rather looked like a queen upon her throne.

Then the fact that the pansear's skin was superheated thanks to the work ups, mixed with the stun spore still covering her body, caught up. With a scream, Lala bolted up, clutching her burned bottom and the rapidly disappearing fluff near it, charred off. She ran back and forth, crying and panicking, still shedding dust and bits of burnt fluff.

Ree returned her with a red face. At least they won.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Happy and high off of their first badge so early into their journey, the team moves on. Whippy and Lala still have their differences, and Lala still is a little hellion, while Whippy prefers to be a little more protective of their trainer. Ree slowly starts to grasp their dynamic and exert a bit of control over them, only for their team dynamic to shift in a big way.


	4. Of Crime

"But _please_? Come on Ree! You know I've been dying to see that movie ever since it was a blip on his website!" Maya demanded, all but hanging off of her sister. "I'm only home for another week, and I won't have time later, and I _hate_ going to movies alone, and no one else is free, and _please_!"

Ree tried in vain to detach her. "Maya, c'mon. Let go. It's a date, and third wheels are awkward, and—"

"Don't use that excuse! I've been to plenty of movies with you and Scottie before," she huffed, clinging harder.

"There's a sex scene! And Scott's gonna get all grabby and kissy and I don't want my _sister_ to be there, that'd be too fucking creepy. Ew."

"_That's_ why I want to go! Sex scene! Come on, please! It can be my birthday present! And Christmas present! I'll pay for your ticket! I _have_ to see Cal Knox naked, Ree, you don't even know—"

"Then look on the internet like everyone else does," she growled, finally freeing an arm. She grabbed hold of one of Maya's pigtails and pried her away, though it was disturbing how even that barely worked. She was _desperate_. Sure, that was her favorite actor, and sure, she liked seeing chick flicks with her sister. But she'd already made the mistake of seeing one with Scott _and_ Maya, and the obligatory borderline porn 'romantic making love' scene had been more awkwardness than even she had bargained for.

"I will be the last person to see this movie. And there will be _spoilers_ on the internet! Just like that time you found out that Al Mualim—"

"_Fine_ you can come," Ree burst out. "But you're paying for snacks, and you don't get to tattle on me if Scott and I start making out in the theater. And no awkwardness."

Though it turned out to be even _more_ embarrassing (and explicit) than either of them had anticipated, and even though Scott did in fact get pretty grabby, Maya's grin afterward was worth it.

-.-.-

**Chapter Four**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Crime

-.-.-

"I have money again," Ree said with a greedy smile, looking at the fistful she'd earned from the gym battle. Whippy stuck his forked tongue out at her, playing with the bandages around his middle. "Stop that. I don't care if it itches—you need to keep those on to stop those burns from getting infected."

"Si-si-si," Lala giggled, pressing her stubby paws up against her mouth, though she failed to stifle the noise.

"And you. How the _fuck_ does your fluff grow back so fast?" Once again, her pokédex was useless to her. They had spent the night in Striaton, figuring it was okay to take a break and heal up a bit. Ree valiantly resisted shopping for the rest of the day, and actually added to her meager money pile by picking out a couple of trainers in the city and beating them (though they lost once), figuring it'd be safer to shop the next day. That way, she'd be more aware of what she had to carry on her back.

And, of course, Lala's burnt and missing fluff had, again, just about completely grown back overnight. There were getting to be quite a few dents and bumps, obvious places where chunks had been ripped out, but the fluff itself was as thick as ever. It had to be a grass thing. Whippy healed pretty quick, too, though his scales took a bit longer to grow back. Though when the nurse had changed his bandages that morning, she could see shiny little nubs starting to poke through his skin. Either all pokémon healed fast, or it was a grass thing.

"Okay, so, list." She pulled it out of her book—and then realized she had just removed her bookmark. "Well shit." She flipped through again until she found the rough area where she'd been, and folded the corner down. Normally not her favorite method of keeping place, but it'd have to do. "Dishes, training book, and a proper bookmark. I guess since we're here, it wouldn't help to get a couple more food things and some healing things..." It was walking a precarious line. She didn't want to carry more than she had to, but she didn't want to run out of something vital in the middle of nowhere.

"Sni?" Whippy leaned over into her lap, struggling to look at the list. She lowered it so he could see it as well. "Snivy-sni?"

"I don't think you can read, mister. Nice try, though."

They packed up what little they had, though Ree then unpacked again when she decided to grab a quick shower. May as well bathe when she had the chance.

Naturally, it quickly evolved into a debacle. Lala, though a lot of her charred and blackened fluff had been cut out or had fallen out, was still filthy from her battle. Whippy had decided if she was getting in on it—and she was keen on getting in on it—he had to, too. Ree was literally caught with her pants down as her pokémon barreled into the bathroom. She tried kicking them out (literally) but wasn't terribly successful. It was easier to give in.

It was two against one on the water temperature; it was evidently a rule that grass pokémon didn't like anything but the most lukewarm of temperatures. Ree wrapped her arms around herself, freezing, as the two danced around her legs in the shower. She tried, she really did. She just couldn't handle so many cold showers.

"Okay, both of you, _out_! You've had your fun! And Lala, you look like a drowned patrat!" Just to make her point clear, she cranked up the temperature to scalding. They squealed and quickly fled, dripping onto the tile and staring plaintively at her through the curtain.

"Vee-vee..."

"_I_ need to get clean, too! And I need to shave. Humans can't do cold temperatures like that. We're _warm_-blooded," Ree told them as primly as she could manage, then pulled the curtain closed once more. She ducked out once more to actually grab her razor, but then she shut it on them for good. Lala humphed at her. Whippy, however, tugged back the curtain and sat down in the water again, trembling a bit but looking up at his trainer with big eyes.

"Vee-vee, snivy-sni, sni?"

"..." She didn't understand him, but he was putting up with hot water. For some reason. She crouched down in front of him—and then hastily closed her legs and knelt instead—and picked him up. His scales were already warmer than usual and they'd have to change his bandages again after this. "Hey, it's okay. I can shower on my own. And shaving—it's not dangerous, I promise. I'm just getting rid of prickly little hairs." She shifted him so he could feel her leg. He seemed unimpressed.

"Vee-vee snivy," he grumbled and shivered violently, tail quivering.

"Okay, out of this hot water. It's obviously not good for you." She set him outside again, but he just clambered back in. This repeated a couple times until she gave up again. She turned the water down to something a bit cooler for sympathy's sake. "Whippy," Ree sighed and reached for the shampoo, "You are getting to be a handful."

She lathered up her hair, making sure she scrubbed hard since she wouldn't be getting another shower for awhile, and then promptly freaked out as he skittered up her bare leg. Ree screamed and shook him off, earning scratches for it, and pressed herself up against the cool wall while she tried to get bubbles out of her eyes.

Whippy stared at her with huge eyes, tail quivering with tension. Ree stared back at him, slightly afraid. He pointed up at her. She shook her head, splattering bubbles against the curtain.

He pounced upon them with glee as they slid down the curtain, scrabbling at it for purchase.

He wanted the lather in her hair. He thought it was more bubbles.

"..._That's_ why you're in here?" Ree groaned, pressing a hand against her breast to try to get her heart rate back to normal. And here she thought it had been some sort of chivalrous loyalty or something. "...Whatever, ya little shit." She rinsed out her hair over him, showering him in warm lather. "Guess you'll get clean too this way."

He was less impressed with the conditioner, since it didn't produce as much, and got bored entirely when she set about to shaving her legs. She gave him the cheap bar of soap that came with the room to play with, but he ended up trying to eat it. After that she kicked him out for good and shut the door behind him.

Ree idly wondered if she'd ever get a normal shower again.

-.-.-

Bushy hair drying in its ponytail, and with Whippy in a new set of bandages, they finally set out. "Okay, next town's a bit farther away, so it'll be a longer journey. Gotta get that cookbook thing. And cooking supplies..." There wasn't an outdoor marketplace like in Accumula, but there was the pokémon mart in the center's building, as well as several department stores elsewhere in the town. It was a bit bigger city than Accumula thanks to the gym, so it wasn't that hard to find things to buy.

Ree picked up a rather nice hardcover copy of _A Trainer's Guidebook To Unova_, which, to her glee, contained a chapter about cooking. She wasn't going to get fancy with the cooking without a kitchen, so she figured a chapter would be just perfect. And it contained a pretty good field guide to the rest of the region and aspects of training. She was actually pretty excited to read it.

She also picked up a camping set of dishes, and a better knife. She had a multipurpose tool which did have a decent knife, but the new one was bigger. And sharper. Cooking and... maybe self-defense. Just in case.

She blew the rest of her money on a new pair of jeans, since denim was the best for the routes and it still made her ass look good. Just because she was a trainer didn't mean she didn't have standards. To her great surprise, her two pokémon behaved themselves pretty well while out shopping, mostly just looking at random things. Whippy, she could tell, was a little drowsy from the warm shower, and stuck closer to her. Lala flitted from display to display as she pleased.

"Ready guys?" Ree asked, hugging her new guidebook to her chest.

Whippy yawned. "Whimsi!" Lala said and raced off out of the in-between building without further warning. Ree sighed.

"...Well, go on, get. You need to be out there training, too. Lala is a lot stronger than you, and you need to catch up. Otherwise, what kind of baby daddy are you gonna be?" Ree said, nudging him with her foot. He perked up considerably and ran off after the whimsicott.

Ree walked along the main path at a leisurely pace, already flipping through her book. There was a chapter for cooking, history, crimes, sickness, first aid, common problems, and even on the behavior of trainers, as well as others. It was _perfect_. She glanced up every so often to make sure she didn't trip or run into anyone, but she was walking slowly enough that she was pretty safe. Ree decided to forgo the cooking chapter; when she was hungry, she'd be ready to go over food. History didn't sound all that interesting right then, either.

"Well, trainer crime is always in the news," she mused, flipping through to chapter two. Predictably, the chapter turned into a cautionary tale, advising pretty basic things. Keep pokémon out at night for protection, never approach an unknown wild pokémon, travel with partners or in small groups for safety, don't accept rare candy from strangers, and so on, and so forth. Team Plasma had its own little section, but since they'd been all but vanquished, they were hardly more than a footnote those days.

The chapter did feature a neat graph about crime rates in the training versus civilian populations over the last decade, though.

Assault among trainers was almost triple the rate of the civilian population, but she supposed that was sort of to be expected. Battles did get pretty heated. And plus, Ree knew that 'assault' could even mean a punch thrown in the heat of the moment, or even half an accident. It was still on her record.

As her eyes scanned down the list, it got more and more depressing. Murder was just a little higher than the civilians, and had an asterisk next to it, but _attempted_ murder was double the other rate. Robbery and rape, the other two with asterisks, also had about the same figures, and they were high to begin with. Ree looked down at the grim little asterisk, reading the footnote.

"_Attempted crimes are higher amongst the training population, but actual occurrences of the crimes are about average for that of the rest of the country. This is believed to be due to the fact that many trainers have pokémon to defend themselves with and can, in many cases, prevent the full crime from being carried out._"

That explained the assault numbers, as well as just about the rest of the chart. "Fucking shit... That is _depressing_," Ree said, unable to help reading the rest of the chapter in morbid fascination. One in two trainers would get assaulted or physically attacked at some point in their career. One in four would have some sort of sexual crime attempted on them. One in seven would be almost killed.

And here she was, pregnant, about to go out and do what this book was telling her was so dangerous.

"This is what Maya's had to deal with all these years...?" Ree mumbled with a frown. The thought of her little sister out there, fighting back big hulking men with ski masks and guns, was more than a little disturbing. Yeah, Maya was a very talented trainer, and her team was really strong. But she was only fifteen. And she had been ten when she'd started out, and she had been weak and inexperienced then.

The chapter continued on to a section about the black market. Due to Unova's isolationist policies, smuggling pokémon in and out of the country was very commonplace and profitable. Pokémon poaching was also mentioned and warned against, again because Unovan pokémon were so rare on the worldwide market. They were valuable, dead or alive. It gave a couple tips on buying pokémon from breeders, the main thing of which was asking for and inspecting their license, and being suspicious of all trainers with a non-Unovan pokémon on their team. Hunting wild pokémon was legal, of course, with the proper permits. But there were illegal hunters as well as poachers. Ree wasn't quite sure what the difference was, but neither were good.

_So it's not just me that's in danger, it's my team, too_, Ree thought, looking up to see Lala and Whippy running away from an angry tranquill and a pidove. Wild pokémon themselves were a threat, especially when she had two pokémon of the same type. Fire pokémon weren't that rare in the wild, sure, but there were bugs and birds to watch out for, too. Not to mention just anything larger or stronger than they were.

The sudden image of Whippy torn apart, a wild liepard carrying off bits of his flesh, sprang into her mind.

Her stomach churned and she nearly dropped the book. "This... isn't..." No, of course not. Whippy was fine. He was pretty strong, for a snivy, though he had that burn to deal with. He was temporarily slowed and hurt. He was already small and hadn't evolved yet. He'd be an easy target. Lala was only a bit better, larger and appearing even bigger thanks to her fluff. She was also evolved and vastly more experienced, but... They'd lost battles before. It wasn't as if either of them were invincible.

"I... I don't want to do this," Ree whispered, looking back at the chart with the gruesome numbers in it. She couldn't have _her_ pokémon dying. She couldn't have her baby dying. She was pregnant; she was vulnerable. Even if she was fine... What if she got punched in the stomach? Or stabbed there? She felt so fragile, but all it took was a bad hit and there went her pregnancy problem.

Ree, for the first time in her journey and not a week in, seriously considered quitting.

She could go home. There'd be embarrassment and apologies and a lot of explaining to do, but she wouldn't be turned away. She'd have the support of her family. Hell, Maya would probably love to be an aunt. Scott... He'd be a good dad. She hadn't wanted to tell him, but he would support her. He wouldn't leave her for that. ...Would he?

She could keep Whippy and Lala. Aubie wouldn't like them, but they'd get used to each other. She could battle trainers in town, but they weren't that strong yet. They could adjust to being pets, right? If not, they could always spar with Scott's team or Maya's when she visited home. She could have a comfortable (comparatively speaking) and safe pregnancy, with the help of her family and friends, and she wouldn't have to be on her own.

Ree's phone rang.

She jumped, finally dropping her book, and quickly fished it out of her pocket. She stooped to pick up the book, but nearly dropped it again when she saw the caller ID. It was Scott.

She would talk to him in real time, if she picked up. It had been several days since she had seen him. He'd left a couple messages, and she had given him a vague text in the dead of night to be sure he wouldn't be able to reply right away. He didn't know—not any of it.

But, if she was being honest with herself, she missed him. Already. That didn't bode well for her determination. But it was the deciding factor. She very hesitantly flipped her phone open. "H-Hello?"

"There's only one thing, to do—" She was not surprised that he was singing to her. She had definitely missed that part. "—three words, for yooooooou! I love you!" She could make out too-loud guitar in the background, which was new. Usually it was video games in the background or that crazy team of his. "Heeeeey, love. Like it? We decided we're gonna do a cover of it, or try to."

"Sounds pretty good so far," Ree said. Tucking the book under her arm, she began walking again, scanning the area for her pokémon. Whippy darted across the path a little ways in front of her, a squirming patrat in his mouth. "...I thought you quit the band."

"Well, we got back together." No surprise there. There was some static as he sighed and shifted the phone. "So, haven't seen you for a few days now. Are you avoiding me or something? This is the first time we've talked since you were over."

"Nah, I'm not avoiding you," she lied uneasily. "I just got caught up. Doin' stuff."

"What sort of stuff?" Scott asked, amused.

"...Video game stuff." That was a safe lie. True, there hadn't been any new releases for awhile, but replaying was a valid excuse. Quickly changing the subject, she asked, "Why'd you call? Normally you call more towards the afternoon or evening."

"I do have to admit that I'm surprised you're up this early." Ree glanced at the phone's clock, and just then remembered she was an hour ahead of him. So while it was true she had been up for awhile, it would've seemed like even longer to him. Pretty suspicious. "...But seriously, did I scare you off with the pancakes or something?"

"No, it's just..." She groaned and wished she was close enough to a tree to bang her head against it. She was too lazy to walk across the path to get to one. "Scottie, I'm just not feeling well lately. Uh—that time of the month. So I've been sorta bitchy and I don't want to take that out on you." Perfect! The best excuse ever. The time wasn't even that far off, so he wouldn't be able to call her out on it. It'd buy her a couple days' more time, too.

"Oh." Yes, she had thrown him off the scent. And hopefully scared him off for a little while longer.

Though really—what _was_ she going to tell him? Nine months was a long time to randomly be away from home.

"Do you want me to come over and watch _Titanic_ with you?"

"No! I mean—I don't want to cry. Why would you want to make me cry? You asshole. I just sorta wanna... stay in and nap and play video games. Not do much of anything. Not leave the house." It felt all the more blatant with the sun shining overhead and a slight breeze blowing at her face.

"Oh. ...Okay then." He sounded a little dejected at the rejection, but what else was she supposed to do? It was a minor miracle he hadn't spontaneously dropped by her house yet anyway. "Well... Call me when you're feeling better? I'll be home for most of the weekend, looks like. Or if you wanna hang out. Just, call or text. ...I miss you."

"I miss you too." And that was going to get a whole hell of a lot worse. Ree stared down at her feet, mood even darker. "...Hey, Scottie?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you ever get beat up or assaulted when you were a trainer?"

The other line went suspiciously silent. She could understand a pause, but it went on and on. She checked to make sure she hadn't been disconnected; she was still on the line with him.

"...Uh, Scott? You there?"

"I'm here. ...Why do you ask?" She knew that tone. That was his guarded, 'I was a trainer and _saw_ things' tone. He used it when he didn't want to discuss certain facets of his training journey, even though that had been years ago.

"...No reason, I guess." Ree had a sinking feeling that she'd gotten her answer, anyway. "...I'm gonna go. Bye, Scottie."

"I love you."

"...Love you too. Bye."

That had been even more depressing than she had thought. She'd managed to buy herself a little time, but just that. Her parents were mostly okay with it. Maya would be due back in a couple days, and that would entail a visit back home... to where she wasn't. Then Maya would know. At the very least, Scott would have to find out she'd taken up training again, and pretty soon. Especially if she didn't want him hearing it from another source.

Assuming she even kept with it.

Ree kept her phone open and mechanically scrolled down to Maya's number. Surely it was still daylight over in Sinnoh, right? One out of two trainers. So if Scott had been... Somehow, it'd be worse knowing her little sister had gotten hurt on the job, so to speak. Not that she had been a trainer for five years without various injuries, but they had always been from a wild pokémon or a battle gone wrong or an accident or once, falling down a steep incline. Having another person do it would be worse.

The phone rang and rang, but her sister didn't answer. It eventually went to voice mail. That didn't help at all; feeling perturbed, Ree hung up without leaving a message.

Training statistics were sad and a little scary. But Ree was tough. Her pokémon were getting tough. She'd gotten into more than one fight in a basketball game or while drunk, so it wasn't as if she was some wilting flower terrified of all physical force. And did she really want to go back home and say "hey, I'm knocked the fuck up and gave up on training for stupid journey number five!"?

No. No she did not.

Ree pressed her mouth into a thin line and soldiered on.

-.-.-

"Okay, so you remove the digestive system... That means the stomach and the intestines and oh fuck, that's disgusting." Ree held the book away from her. There was a _diagram_. Whippy looked up at her, little claws coated in blood. "Urp... Ew. Cut out like... the bottom half. Everything that might've touched that sort of stuff. And the organs..." The remains of breakfast rose in her throat again. Ree clamped a hand over her mouth and merely held the book open for Whippy. He couldn't read, but hey, there was a diagram.

Lala put her nose in the air and turned from them and their dirty work. She had already gathered several small fistfuls of various plants, and while that was helpful, Ree and Whippy probably wouldn't be able to survive long on just vegetarian stuff. Maybe with a proper diet and access to lots of different foods, but they didn't get that luxury.

"Snivy-sni?" Whippy held up the patrat corpse. Skinned, drained, and pretty much a mess. But she couldn't deny that he _had_ gotten the organs out of it.

"Okay, the liver is edible... Whippy, you can have that part." He needed little more than a point before he dove into it.

Ree turned and finally threw up.

"Si-si-si," Lala snickered.

"Next time, it'll be on you," her trainer said weakly and wiped her chin. She managed to stick a stick in the meat and put it over their fire. Her stomach was already letting her know it was empty again and demanded food, and she munched on a couple berries, but she was lucky to have gotten this far. Apparently, butchering pokémon was a _very_ in-depth and delicate procedure. It didn't help when she had to stare at a generic mammal's corpse in the book and try to figure out what organ was what while having a fresh and smelly corpse sitting in front of her.

Ree looked down at Whippy. He had red streaked all over him, along with little tufts of brown fur.

"You need a bath. There was a stream back that way, wasn't there?" Lala nodded and sat next to Ree's rock, crossing one leg delicately over the other. She used her fluff—now even bigger—as a sort of chair. "Whippy, do you remember where the stream was?"

He shook his head, licking blood off his claws.

"Lala, take him back to the stream, make sure he washes his paws and face. Try not to soak through his bandages too bad. Please?"

She could trust her pokémon to follow her orders like that. It was just the battles they had problems with. Ree watched them as they disappeared into the darkening night.

It wasn't that far away. If she hadn't had the fire right in front of her, merrily crackling, she probably could've even heard it. They were definitely within earshot. Still, Ree grabbed her knife and pulled it out, resting it on her lap. Whippy had been the one to clean the patrat corpse, so the knife supposedly for cooking hadn't seen use yet.

"Ugh, why can't I just get a cooking skill to level up." She rotated the stick with the meat on it, wondering just how well done it was supposed to look. She knew cooking over an open fire charred the skin even when the inside wasn't done, but without taking it off and cutting into it, she didn't know. Though it'd be a good start to cook it on all sides. "That sort of thing had better come with experience..."

When her pokémon returned, slightly cleaner (mostly having just swapped out blood for mud), Ree decided to test the 'meal'. With her knife, she cut into it, wedging it open to look at it inside. Still pretty pink, but the outside was cooked. She pried a little strip off and offered it to Whippy.

"Vee-vee, sni snivy-vee?"

"I'll eat when it's done. I think you can handle things a little rawer than I can, anyway." She set her chin in her hand and thrust the meal back over the fire. It looked so small. Patrat were small to begin with, of course, but after removing fur and skin and organs, it was even tinier. Lala wasn't going to eat any, but would that be enough for her and Whippy? Would that be enough for even one of them?

Lala stuffed a pawful of leaves and shoots of something grass-like into her mouth, chewing loudly. At least they had other things to eat, too. It was getting too late to go out again; Ree didn't want them running around in the dark. Whippy seemed to have excellent night vision, but Lala less so. Ree even less.

The food ended up burnt, but it was better than raw, she supposed. She hacked off a good chunk for Whippy and delicately made little strips for herself, trying not think that that had been a pokémon at one point. It was perfectly legal and even expected of trainers to live off the land like that. It was just going to take a little getting used to.

Ree chewed. It was bland and overcooked, but not terrible. "...Might as well make the best of it." She flipped her book open again, squinting in the firelight to try to read it. The words were mostly beyond her, but she could see the pictures just fine. There were several of various edible and common plants, one of which was the leaves Lala had been munching on. This wasn't so hard. She'd get used to it—they all would. Training wasn't hard.

Just perhaps dangerous.

She slept fitfully, every noise in the dark clearing turning itself into a rogue pokémon or serial killer, and her dreams weren't much better. Whippy flailed once during the night, causing her to wake up with a scream and roll over onto Lala. It took even longer for them all to fall back asleep after that.

The days passed and lulled Ree back into a sense of security. The older, experienced wild pokémon kept to themselves. The younger, inexperienced ones were even or easy battles. Or a meal. There were more trainers near the beginning and the end of the route, so out in the middle, they only saw a couple people a day. If that. And not even half of them would actually want to battle; teams would be tired, injured, or worse. Earning money came second to survival.

Ree avidly continued through her book. Crime rates were less scary after awhile. So was cooking, but she was fairly certain she wasn't getting all of the nutrients she needed. She felt tired, but it wasn't that hard. Most of her journey was walking, or at least it was walking until Whippy or Lala brought hell back with them. A couple of trainers gave her weird looks for letting her pokémon roam like that, but she was on the main path, and they were always within earshot, if not sight. It wasn't as if she was cutting through dense jungle with a machete and nothing but the clothes on her back.

After about three or four days, Ree realized that time was beginning to blur a little. If she hadn't had her phone or the pokédex with her, she was fairly certain that she would have lost track of time entirely. Still, there was only so much that happened. Whippy pissed off a watchog. Lala created a small forest fire with her stun spore trick on a pansear. They won battles. They lost two. Ree spent a harrowing two hours running towards the nearest river, unconscious snivy in her arms, a pair of angry whirlipede on her heels. Still, aside from bursts of adrenaline, it was pretty repetitive. Battle, fight, win. Repeat.

"At least we're getting closer to Nacrene," Ree mumbled, wringing out her hair over the shore. Her blinking icon on the map—she just figured out how to customize it, and it was currently a purple star—was just pixels away from the little box that was Nacrene City. "Tomorrow, I think. Do you guys think you've gotten any stronger?"

Lala paused in her chasing of a pidove and flexed her small arms, giving Ree a sharp grin. "Scott."

"Hmm... I dunno how many pokémon the gym leader has, but that kid said she was pretty tough. I could ask Maya about her... She should be coming home soon," Ree realized and perked up. She could talk to Maya again! She hadn't been able to get service on anything but her pokédex's GPS function for the last several days, which was a blessing since she could further ignore the Scott problem as well as her parents wondering when she'd quit and go home. But Maya was a different story. Mostly.

Sure, it meant Maya would be in on her little training secret, but that was a given anyway. Her parents wouldn't keep that from her, and even if they did for some bizarre reason, Ree would be very obviously missing. Granted, that may not immediately point to 'training journey'. Ree had done far weirder and far stupider things on random whims.

Whippy and Lala ran past, splashing up water in the shallows. The pidove squawked and narrowly missed flying into Ree's head. She growled at them all and rinsed off her legs _again_. It was bad enough they were well on their way to fuzzy, but she didn't need mud splattered on them to highlight her point. "If you hadn't killed that venipede on my jeans I could be wearing _pants_ right now!" she snapped at their retreating figures.

It wasn't as if every other girl she'd run into wasn't conspicuously wearing pants and sleeves despite the heat. And it wasn't as if she was the only one wearing shorts while on the road to evolving into a beartic, either. Shaving just wasn't practical en route. It just didn't make for pretty girls. Or boys, for that matter; there were enough awkward teens in the training population that proved to Ree that scruff did _not_ look good on everyone.

The two grass pokémon and the bird flew past again. Whippy and Lala were bouncing after it, trying to catch it. Due to the trees, it couldn't fly much higher without getting slowed. It didn't look injured, so it seemed as if they hadn't caught it yet. Lala was as fast as it was, but she couldn't jump that high that fast. And it looked as Whippy hadn't been able to get the drop on it.

Ree watched them go back and forth in the clearing. Lala was _just_ fast enough to cut it off if it tried to escape too far, and they also outnumbered it. It was a step above playing with it, but a step below a battle. She felt sorry for it.

As it wheeled around to avoid flying into a tree, Whippy took the chance to leap upward. He was made of muscle and quite strong, but he was still small. He barely covered half of the distance. Lala, however, turned it into an opening for her; she jumped onto him and used him as a springboard. With the added height and her fluff acting like a sail, she floated up towards the pidove, little arms outstretched to grab hold of it... And it slipped _just_ out of her grasp.

As her two pokémon fell, defeated, Ree stood up and smacked the pidove out of the air with a hand.

"Happy now?" The two grass pokémon looked between her and the dazed bird with awe. Ree couldn't help but feel the stirrings of pride. She was already a lot taller than them, and she'd been in basketball. A moving target wasn't terribly hard, especially since it had been zooming around about chin-height to her.

Ree looked down at the bird as it struggled back to its feet, swaying. Lala cackled and said something to Whippy, puffing out her chest, probably taking claim of it. He hissed and swiped at her. While the pair bickered, the pidove cast a suspicious look at them as it regained its bearings and threw out its wings again.

Her heart hurt a bit and Ree crouched down, capturing the surprised bird in her hands. It pecked and struggled, tweeting, as she dug a pokeball out of her backpack. She wasn't squeezing hard enough to hurt it, knowing full well that birds were pretty fragile creatures, even for pokémon, and pressed the ball against it.

It had been tired from running around, and possibly injured a bit from the smack. Mostly, Ree clamped the ball shut with her hands. She wasn't sure if that helped or not—but made a mental note to continue the tactic whenever available. The ball dinged and in the most anticlimactic capture yet, they got themselves a new teammate.

"_I_ was basically the one battling for that. I feel as if I should level up," Ree mumbled to no one, sitting back down on her rock and stuck her feet back in the shallow, muddy water. She ignored the outraged cries of Whippy and Lala behind her as she plugged the pokeball into the pokédex. She maintained her silence as it gave her the information about the bird. Female, fairly young, only minor injuries. It asked for a nickname for the newly captured pokémon.

Ree didn't have to think about that one.

"Okay guys, we have another new teammate. And she's not a grass pokémon! This'll definitely help with the bugs and stuff. Meet Harper," she declared, a little subdued, as she released the pidove into the air. It circled around her head, eying them all, before settling down on Ree's shoulder.

"Pi," she tweeted and rested her downy cheek against Ree's.

"Well aren't you the sweetie!" Ree cooed, petting her with a finger. "Look at how cute she is! Not like a certain impish whimsicott or money-eating snivy I could mention. Harper, you are just the _cutest_!" Resorting to baby talk was about as embarrassing as her hairy legs, but she didn't mind. And they were alone, anyway.

Lala humphed and crossed her arms, brown skin darkening further in a blush. Whippy gave Ree a pathetic look, eyes huge, tail quivering.

Ree beckoned him into her arms and cradled him against her breast, much to the dismay of Lala. "Wh-Whim! _Whimsi_, whimsicott!" Whippy stuck out his tongue at her. Her ensuing inner debate was obvious: lose dignity and belong in the group, or maintain dignity and be alone? Lala shuffled over and tugged on Ree's shorts, hiding her face with her fluff.

"I'm going to get cavities with how sweet this is." It was also difficult to hold the two without Lala's fluff getting in Harper's way, but at least it was cute while it lasted.

Until Lala punched Harper off Ree's shoulder.

-.-.-

Just when she had been used to her dynamic duo, she'd added a third wheel. Entirely voluntarily, but sort of half on accident. She hadn't been actively prowling for another. Though really, she was glad it wasn't another grass pokémon. She'd have to have words with her karma if that had happened. Violent words.

Ree got used to the pidove addition very quickly. Lala and Whippy, however, acted almost jealous of her. She could fly, for starters, and rivaled Lala's speed. Smaller and weaker and younger, sure, but faster. Harper surprisingly wasn't the type to rub this in, and usually acted fairly level-headed, which was a pleasant change of pace. While Lala and Whippy would run off and antagonize wild pokémon and trainers alike, Harper didn't venture as far and instead acted as a sort of scout. Ree wasn't complaining.

"Okay, three pokémon. Not bad, if I do say so myself. A little training up, and we can take down Lenora, no problem. She'd have three at the most, being the second gym leader... Right?" Ree craned her head back to see Harper cutting across the bright sky. "Hell yeah. We can so do this."

The closer they got to Nacrene City, the more Ree's signal started to return. Mostly in short bursts, but eventually, she got it long enough to start receiving actual information. A lot of missed calls, though they came in batches of two or three. Which wasn't weird, until those batches of two or three started to hit the double digits.

"What the fuck?" Her pokédex beeped as it got signal back in her pocket. Her phone finally grasped onto a stable signal, even if it was just a single bar, and started informing her of everything she'd missed in the past several days. Five missed calls from Scott, four from one other friend, and twenty-one from her parents. Thirty-seven text messages from a wider array, though her parents once again dominated. Eight voice mails, all but one from her parents. "What the _fuck_ happened."

Nacrene was in view by the time she was halfway through the text messages. She was in an even fouler mood then; she had had to stop reading at one point because of an ass of a trainer who wanted to battle her and then talk her ear off, and most of the texts were incredibly vague and short things like "_did u see the news?_".

"_omg did u c wat happened?_"

"_isn't your sister over there now_"

"_Ree shit have you seen what happened? get on a computer nw_"

"_Have u heard anything frm your sister?_"

"_try calling maya please!_"

Needless to say, Ree got more and more nervous as she clicked through them. She deleted all of the missed calls without scrolling through them, and didn't bother replying to the stupidly cryptic texts, and finally got to the voice mails. She was jogging now, calling in Whippy and Lala as they reached the city limits. Pokémon center to heal them and get to a television with a news station. Heart thudding loudly in her chest, she listened as her father worriedly asked if she had heard what had happened in Sinnoh, and if she had heard from Maya, and to please call him back.

By the time she'd gotten through the messages, she gathered that there had been some sort of public killing in Sinnoh, followed by a massive, organized attack across the region. Including the city Maya had been staying in. It had been pulled by some celebrity, and her parents hadn't been able to reach Maya since the news had broke over the internet.

Ree burst into the pokémon center and had the grand plan of dramatically running across the room, throwing her pokémon at the nurse on duty, and commandeering the television. Instead, she burst into the building and found it absolutely packed with trainers and pokémon alike. The news was already playing, a grim reporter saying in a suave Castelian accent, "—may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised."

She aggressively fought her way through the crowd and still managed to throw her pokémon at the nurse. She seemed busier keeping order with all of the people there than healing. The fact that so many trainers were holed up there was even more nerve-wracking; trainers usually didn't panic en masse. Not since Team Plasma, anyway.

"Someone turn the fucking TV up!" she screamed, cutting across the din. There was immediately an agreement on the other side of the room, towards the mart. Someone nearer the television obliged and Ree could finally hear it again.

It showed a middle-aged man in a suit interviewing a gothic girl. But as she watched, confused and worried, he pulled out a gun and shot her. The camera wobbled and spun around as a couple others entered into the scene, but it ended up with him putting a bullet through another boy's temple. "Mr. V, well-known Sinnohan training celebrity, has gone on a murderous rampage after revealing himself to be part of the movement following Nicholas Sayre." It took Ree a couple moments to place the name; it had happened over a year ago. "The attack has since spread across the region, and almost all of the country is in a black-out with no phone reception and very little access to internet. Famously, the leader of Sunyshore City, Zachary Jones, has already managed to record a couple messages and put them on the internet, but the conversation between he and Mr. V has since stopped as of yesterday afternoon..."

Maya was in Sunyshore. She had been telling her about the great beaches and the cute gym leaders. And a man had just become a serial killer on television and _that was where her sister was_.

Ree collapsed against a bookshelf, room spinning. Someone shouted something, but she couldn't process it. The reporter continued in his recap. It showed pictures of the two known victims, as well as grainy clips of the videos that had been put on the internet.

"Nothing is yet known about the foreign representatives that had been sent there in peace to congratulate Sinnoh on getting its gym circuit back up and running. Alder has reportedly tried to contact the Sinnohan champion, but no word on whether or not it was successful. Tensions are high among other regions, especially with the rash of copycats cropping up across the globe..."

A harried audino came back with three pokeballs and tugged on Ree's shirt. She tore her gaze away from the television. The audino bustled off, withdrawing another set of pokeballs from its apron as it hailed another trainer in the crowd. No wonder everyone was taking cover. Normally, Unova didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the problems of the other big regions, but symbolically, this was huge. It could even be a revolution in the making.

And Maya was in the middle of it.

Ree had to get some air.

"Maya can't... She's talented, she's not stupid, she wouldn't..." She fought her way back through the mass of people until she reached the sliding doors. Maya couldn't be hurt. No. Of course not. Not hurt or dead. She was probably just stuck in her hotel room, flirting with a bellboy or something. Yeah, that was it. "Maya's okay," she soothed herself.

Still, she needed a hug right then. She didn't have Scott. She didn't have her family. Ree suddenly felt overwhelmingly alone, and scared. She slid down against the center's wall and released Lala, clinging to her soft fluff. Whippy came out next and he immediately sensed her distress and wiggled in between her and the whimsicott, hissing lightly into her ear. Ree sniffed and released Harper, and looked up at her with a watery smile, about to apologize for how crazy her new trainer was.

Instead, Ree stared into two cyan eyes, a long, green scarf, and white on black.

That wasn't Harper.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: That isn't Harper. Ree, already upset over the news and her sister's unknown situation, panics and basically makes everything worse for everyone involved. At least she makes a new friend out of it. ...Right?


	5. Of Others

"She looks like a Lilith," Ree said practically. She gestured down to the dignified sewaddle at her feet.

Maya gave them both a disbelieving look. "I can't believe you're going to be naming a _bug_ something so pretty."

"She's cute! And I can call her Lily!" Ree scooped up her poor pokémon, hugging her against her chest. Lilith squealed, pleased. "See! She likes it."

"You could've gotten a snivy from the lab," Maya pouted, "like me. Bo would've liked that! They could've been, like, brothers!"

"What if I had gotten a girl?"

"Most snivy are male." Always the experienced trainer. "If you had one, you'd know that. And then read up on scientific journals asking for female snivy to be used in breeding programs. Once you train up your pokémon, you can volunteer them for studies and stuff! It's an easy way to make some money and you learn a lot."

"Is that where you met... what's his name?" Maya blushed up to the roots of her hair and hurriedly turned from her sister. Ree and Lilith exchanged smug smirks. "Yeah, Maya, I bet you learn a _whole_ fucking lot there..."

"It's not like that, Ree, it's actually scientific! A-And really educational. You can learn a lot about pokémon from studies like that."

"Oh, I'm sure. I bet you've been learning lots about stuff from the breeding programs, huh?"

"It's not like that! It's just..." She crossed her arms and withdrew into herself. "...I'm glad you're trying this trainer thing again. Stick with it this time, will you?"

"Of course!"

-.-.-

**Chapter Five**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Others

-.-.-

Chocolate eyes met cyan eyes. And they held.

Then Whippy shifted in order to get a better view of the development. It broke the spell. Ree screamed, slamming back against the wall, and the thing in front of her gave an inhuman shriek and reared back. Lala and Whippy flailed in her arms as the thing wheeled around and ran for it. It was fast, and Ree was already slipping into panic. She only recognized _monochrome and four-legged and green scarf_ before jumping to her feet. "A-After it! _Harper_, where are you?" she screamed, voice higher than normal. Lala streaked after the fleeing not-Harper, but Whippy circled around his trainer's feet, tail shaking violently.

"Vee-vee, snivy-snivy vee?"

"I don't know where she is! That—that wasn't her pokeball, and—" Ree wasn't sure what to do. Harper had to be _somewhere_. Had she just been robbed? What was that thing that had come in the third pokeball? One more heartbeat of panic and hesitation, and Ree tore after Lala and the not-Harper.

She could easily follow them by sound; people shouting and pokémon barking as the two pokémon ran through the town. Whippy pulled ahead of her, but didn't seem to want to leave her behind entirely. She made a frustrated gesture.

She nearly ran past them; Lala had cornered the not-Harper in an alleyway with a chain link fence. Whippy ran up to hiss at the creature, tail straight up behind him. Chest heaving, Ree approached the not-Harper. She blinked several times, her mindset and the scarf momentarily throwing her off. She knew what it was—it was one of those electric things. "Whimsicott!" Lala declared, advancing.

"Bli-i-iiii," it whinnied in terror, pressing itself up against the metal fence, which began shedding sparks. Eyes darting back and forth, it finally made a break for it. It leapt over Lala and Whippy, nearly running into Ree, and made it to the mouth of the alleyway before tripping over its long scarf. Ree and Whippy were on it at once, wrestling it to the ground. It squealed and bucked, before shocking them both off. Ree's world tilted and she fell to the ground, heart beating even harder, fingers tingling.

Lala pinned it to the ground with a tackle, holding it down by the scarf and mane, while Whippy attached himself to its flank. It was clearly scared out of its mind, eyes rolling and legs still kicking, but Ree was more worried about Harper. "Where is my pidove?"

It whinnied shrilly and continued thrashing.

Ree didn't know what to do. She stayed on her knees, blinking back tears. Harper was gone, and she still wasn't sure how or where she was. Maya was still in trouble. She had this _thing_ and she couldn't communicate with it. It was too scared to even talk coherently to either of her pokémon.

"I _want_ my Harper back!" she shrieked at it, pulling on one of its hooves. It nearly kicked her hand in response. Just as Ree was ready to grab at it again, a swath of flames cut across the air just over Whippy's head. Lala screamed and hid behind the not-Harper's head as cover; Whippy jumped off and stood in front of Ree.

A candle hopped across the sidewalk, dripping wax and burning with a faint, flickering bluish flame. Ree paused as a sewaddle came up behind it, fangs bared in a snarl.

"Jackster!" A girl with wavy red hair and a neon purple sweater ran up behind them both, face flushed. "Get off my blitzle!"

Ree only did what she said because she saw a pidove fluttering over her head, a pidove that immediately dove at her and buried itself in the crook of her neck the moment it saw her. "Oh, Harper!" Ree cupped the little bird in her hands, nuzzling her feathers with her nose. Lala hesitantly backed away from the not-Harper and it jumped to its hooves, shivering. "Oh, Harper... I was so worried!" She looked up at the girl with a glare that wasn't very hard to summon. She had finally found an outlet. "You! You stole my pidove!"

"I did not!" She shook her head, hair flying around her face. Ree found herself drawn to the brightness of her sweater. Actually, that obnoxious color seemed sort of familiar. "It was... At the pokémon center, they've been real busy lately. They mixed up another pair's pokémon earlier today, too. A little kid ended up with a woman's haxorus."

That made sense. And she had Harper back. But she was still upset. Ree stood up, Harper still snuggled into her neck. She opened her mouth to make some snappy retort—when she finally recognized the girl. "Y-You! You were the one who came up on me when I was changing!"

The girl's face instantly matched her hair. "I-I'm sorry! Oh my gosh, you _are_ that tall girl—I'm sorry!" She threw her arms around her blitzle's neck and backed up. Embarrassment soon took over the situation as the two avoided each other's eyes as their pokémon continued glowering. Finally, with a pathetic whine, her blitzle was recalled. "Sorry... It's just... Um, Jackster is just... really easy to scare. This had to have been really stressful for him, so I'm sorry if he acted a little unruly. He's really a sweet pokémon, I promise."

"Yeah, well..." The heart attack had been shared, she was sure. Harper looked like she had behaved. "...I _guess_. No harm, no foul. But shit, that scared me."

"Me too," the girl replied quietly, looking down at the pokeball in her hands. "...Um. I'm Harry."

Sort of a weird name for a girl, but it could be a nickname. Though the trainer of Mister Snivy Whiplash may not have room to judge others on their names. "Ree."

"I haven't seen you around the center. Of course, it's so busy, it's not like I know everyone—but I've been in the city since yesterday. Everyone seems so scared. Do you have a room to stay in tonight?" Harry asked, breaking out into a nervous, but sweet smile. It broke (most of) the tension in the scene and she stooped to gather up her other two pokémon, though the sewaddle didn't seem happy about being picked up.

"No, I figured I'd just... Oh." The pokémon center was _packed_. All of the rooms were probably taken.

"They've stopped giving out rooms to singles and doubles, but I stayed with a couple of other girls last night. We could share our room; we still have a free bed. There's been talk of putting random trainers together, so I think it'd be better if we actually got someone we know... a bit." Harry scuffed her shoes on the ground. "A-And we could... talk! And stuff."

Talking, and stuff. Ree let Whippy crawl up her leg and held him in one arm, putting the other on her hip. "Sure. I do need a place to stay tonight, anyway. And I can chew the nurses out for switching up pokémon like that."

"No! It's not, I mean—it's not _their_ fault," she said quickly, squeezing her pokémon against her bright sweater. The candle smiled dazedly. "They've been really busy just keeping order."

Well _someone_ had to bear the brunt of Ree's anger. She eyed the younger girl. "You a trainer?"

"...S-Sorta."

Ree sighed. "Ugh, of course not. I'm gonna go beat the shit out of things for a little while. What room are you guys staying in?"

"Oh, we're staying in room 236, it's on the second floor." Ree turned and stormed off without a reply. Harry called something after her, but she didn't pay attention. She had Harper back, but probably at the expense of ten or so years off her life. Those stupid nurses—yeah, they were busy. But it sounded as if it had happened fairly routinely. There would have been violence if she had found that not-Harper in the middle of the center. She couldn't even imagine ending up with a haxorus... Though it probably would've been a little more awesome.

Maya was still in the shitstorm in Sinnoh, though.

Ree's shoulders drooped and she shuffled to a stop. Maya... Her own little sister. Danger, murder, serial killers, and—"Why the fuck would they have sent a little girl over there?" She whirled around and punched the nearest wall, though it hurt her hand something fierce. She studied her scraped knuckles. "That goddamn country has been rocky ever since what's-his-name tried to kill the champion, so why the fuck were we congratulating them on being _normal_ again?"

"Vee-vee, snivy," Whippy said soothingly, tugging on her socks. He patted her fuzzy leg and gestured her away from the wall. "Snivy-sni sni snivy."

"I'm just mad," she growled and crossed her arms. She turned and marched down the sidewalk again. "I'm gonna kill Alder myself if something's happened to Maya because of this. Isn't _this_ sort of thing why we're staying the fuck away from the other regions? I mean—it's not like you can find butterfree flitting around here, and for good reason! Our pokémon are good enough, and we leave them alone, so they're supposed to leave us alone..."

Lala smacked her leg. Not the love tap kind of smack, either. Ree yelped and nearly fell, stumbling as she tried to keep her balance. Harper tweeted and fluttered into the air. "Scott!"

"What?" Ree groused and resisted the urge to kick her pokémon.

"Whimsi-_cott_," she hissed and turned from her trainer.

"I can't understand a word you're saying. Why are _you_ mad? I'm the mad one here!" Lala jabbed a stubby arm up to point at Harper. Ree looked between the two of them. "Harper's okay. A-Aren't you?" The pidove nodded. "See? Harper's okay. Just be nice to Harry when we see her later. I don't wanna get kicked out of the center."

Lala hit her again. "Whimsicott, whimsi-whimsi-si. Scott..."

Harper tweeted in outrage and Ree quickly snatched her out of the air before she dive-bombed the more experienced pokémon. Lala offered her a dark chuckle. Whippy looked down at his feet, clearly affected by whatever she'd said. "...What? What are you saying about Harper?"

Lala pointed to herself and Whippy. "Whimsi! Whim... scott-whimsi." She cast a sharp glare up at her trainer. "Whimsicott?"

"I. Don't. Have a fucking _clue_ what you are saying," Ree repeated in frustration. "Are you mad at me or Harper?" Lala pointed at Ree. She rolled her eyes, but mumbled, "That's a start... So _what_ did I do to offend you so greatly, oh most experienced and talented imp of mine?"

Lala poked Whippy, dragging him into the conversation, albeit reluctantly. "Sni..." He pointed to himself and Ree first with a, "Vee-vee sni-snivy, vee. Sni?"

"...Um. You and me?" He nodded. She was simply overjoyed that he remembered how to. Ree glanced up around them. "Okay, maybe we shouldn't be doing this in the middle of the sidewalk. Let's head back out a ways, okay?" Lala gave her a death glare, but Whippy agreed pretty readily. Lala had them on a forced march out of city limits, until the people trickling in and out had dwindled significantly. Ree sat down on a grassy patch just outside of the city limits, phone beeping to let her know she'd lost a bit of signal again. "Okay, shoot. Let court begin."

"Vee-vee sni-snivy, vee," Whippy repeated, gesturing once more to himself and then Ree.

"You and me. Gotcha."

He then pointed to Lala. "Vee, _snivy_." Lala huffed at him and he smiled innocently. "Vee-vee, sni-snivy, snivy."

"You, me, and Lala. ...In the order we met up?" Lala and Whippy both jumped at her, nodding furiously. Harper alighted on her hair and gave their exuberance a disdainful look. "Uh, okay, sure. It was me and Whippy first, for a couple nights. Then Lala came with us, and we got that badge. And it took a couple days to get here, and then we added Harper this morning." The duo nodded once more in unison. Ree looked up through her bangs, just barely able to see Harper's head through them. She cooed down at her. "I guess that's our story, Harper."

"Whimsi!" Lala exclaimed and threw her arms in the air. "Whimsicott-scott!"

"Snivy," Whippy cut in, taking her gently aside. She stewed off to the side, drawing in the dirt of the path. He gave Ree a sharp look, even baring his fangs at her. Serious business, she guessed. "Vee-vee, snivy-snivy vee, snivy. Sni?"

"...I don't get it," Ree replied cluelessly. She had to admit, however, that this was distracting her from murderous thoughts towards the government.

Whippy sighed heavily and once again gestured to himself, then the brunette trainer. She nodded. He then added in Lala with a flick of his tail. "Sni?"

"You two are... upset with me. For something. Involving Harper?" He nodded. Ree squinted down at him. "_Why_?"

Whippy backed up a couple steps, cleared his throat, and then screamed. She jumped violently and Harper took to the air with an alarmed squawk. She circled around a couple times before settling on a higher branch, peering down at them guardedly. Lala came up beside Whippy, holding a stick and a rock in her arms.

"Whimsi!" she said in a voice much higher than her normal one.

"Snivy-sni!" Whippy shot back, and then after looking around for a moment, came up with a half-rotted berry on the ground. He picked it up and cooed over it, caressing it, then glared at Lala some more. "Snivy," he said in a high voice, then growled, "Snivy-vee!"

"Whimsicott, wh-whimsi," Lala said in that same affected tone. She dropped her stick and rock, then dragged over a larger stone that nearly came up to her waist. She took a moment to put a couple leaves on it. She then gestured wildly to it before throwing her arms around it with obvious affection.

Ree was totally, completely, utterly lost.

Harper gave a low hoot of disbelief from above.

The other two, seeing their trainer's confusion, turned to each other and furiously discussed something in low tones. Aside from Lala making some rather interesting gestures (including, Ree was fairly certain, what seemed to be miming hanging herself with a noose of fluff), Ree didn't understand any more of it. She tried to keep her mind away from thoughts of Maya for a little longer, until she could figure this out, but that frustration mixed with her worry wasn't making for a very patient girl.

Finally, Lala appeared to have some sort of epiphany. She turned her back on Whippy and he hacked off a large portion of her fluff with his sharp tail. Ree gaped at them as they draped it across the large stone. Lala hopped off as Whippy arranged it, adding bits of grass in broad, messy stripes across the back. Harper eventually came down from her high branch and settled on Ree's shoulder again. She petted her with a finger.

As Whippy finished his masterpiece, Lala flounced back onto the scene, absolutely covered in blood. Ree started, but Whippy made sure she stayed put. Most of the blood was splashed across her fluff, including some paw-prints around her head. She realized that Lala had _painted_ herself with it.

Striped rock. Red fluff. A stick and a small rock and a half-rotten berry.

"Are you trying to be me and Harry?" Ree asked, absolutely shocked. But she couldn't see what else they were trying to convey so hard. The red 'hair' Lala had made for herself had finally done it, but Whippy's stripes on their 'blitzle' had come close.

Lala and Whippy sagged against each other with relieved nods.

"...I thought this was about me and Harper."

Whippy pointed to the Harry-Lala. "Snivy-snivy."

"...When Harper had gotten mixed up?" More nodding. Harper made a discontented sound and pressed herself closer to Ree's cheek. "What about it?"

This language barrier was getting to be frustrating. Lala finally pushed Whippy away and simply pointed, menacingly, at Harper.

This persisted until Ree asked, "What about Harper bothers you two so badly?"

"Snivy, sni-snivy..." Whippy mumbled, taking a step away from Lala. She shot him a betrayed look.

"Okay, Lala, what's bothering _you_ so bad that you've done all of this?"

Lala painstakingly went back to the blitzle-rock and fluffed up her scarlet 'hair' with one paw. Ree nodded; something to do with Harry, and that blitzle of hers. And Harper. Well, it obviously had to do with Harper, since she had been the one missing on their end.

Wait, that was a connection. Probably an important one. "Were you worried when Harper was missing?"

Lala gave her a flat look that clearly was a negative to that. She then pointed at Ree once more.

"...When _I_ was worried that Harper was missing?" Lala jumped up and down, shaking her paws. "...Uh, so? Okay, maybe trying to wrestle a blitzle to the ground was a little awkward to try, but my _pokémon_ was _missing_. I'm allowed to freak out a little."

Lala put her paws together, and pointed to Harper, then herself, and then back again. Whippy came up beside her and only looked up at Ree with big, sad eyes. "Snivy-sni?"

"Aww, Whippy." Even if he was too good at the kicked lillipup look, it worked. Ree scooped him up and patted him on the head. "I don't get what you two are saying, but if you're that upset, then I'm sorry?" Not the most sincere apology, but she really _was_ quite lost. "...Any chance this is the sort of angry that can be fixed with a group hug?"

Whippy snuggled into her chest with a happy cry of "Sni!". Lala, on the other hand, glared mutinously at them.

"Come on, group hug," Ree said, throwing out an arm to beckon to her whimsicott.

Lala hissed at her and stalked off, dripping bits of bloody fluff.

-.-.-

Lala hadn't _really_ left; Ree was supremely thankful for that. She was still the powerhouse, the evil genius of the team. Sure, Whippy was strong, but he was still fairly young and inexperienced. Harper even more so. Ree put on a great show of being nice to all of them, having a triple battle with a trainer just inside city limits, encouraging them to work together.

Of course, when only one out of three even _pretended_ to listen to her, she lost some cool points. And trainer points. And general dignity points. She was glad that Harper followed most orders, but the little pidove was not above adjusting them if the situation called for it. It was probably smart battling, but when she shouted for a tackle and Harper instead flapped higher and strafed with a gust...

Ree just gestured vaguely for Whippy and Lala to do their thing. She was about two seconds from giving up on trying to command them in anything ever again.

"See! You guys are _amazing_ together!" Ree squealed happily, dancing on the spot as Whippy took out the other trainer's purrloin with one last smack with his vines. Maybe it was a fluke, or maybe Harper offset the two grass pokémon _just_ enough for them not to get constantly in each other's way, but they seemed a lot more effective in battles. It was a pity triple battles were fairly rare. Double battles with her two grass ones would still be awkward, but this was proof that they _could_ get along! "Ohh Harper, you were awesome! C'mere, Whippy! Lala, you too. You guys were fucking awesome! Now come on, loser's cash is gonna buy us treats!"

Whippy gasped in delight, claws covering his mouth but failing to stifle the sound. "Sni?"

"Yeah, all the sugar you want." Lala bounced up and clung to her back, demanding a piggyback ride. Ree acquiesced, though her short legs made it pretty awkward. Whippy had to drape himself across her shoulders, which forced Harper to nest in her hair, but they made it work. Everyone got their happy carry time with trainer. And Ree was about ready to collapse by the time she got back into town proper. "You... three..."

They were fairly light and fairly small individually, but all three at once? Whippy and Lala alone had been hell on her neck.

"No more group carrying. Only group hugs. God_damn_." Her snivy slithered off, though Harper only flapped into the air after a warning hiss from him. Lala had to be dropped before she would let go. "Can't imagine what it'll be like with another..."

Now she had three, and had given thought to four. Scott had four. Maya had six. Full teams had six, though illegally carrying one or two more wasn't unheard of. That was a small army. And after this accident got done with... Then what was she going to do with them? That was still a problem. Ree looked up and picked out Harper on a stop sign, tweeting at another trainer's tranquill.

_I can't keep them_, she realized. They may be able to adjust now. But another eight and a half months from now? Or eight months? Come to think of it, she wasn't completely sure _when_ exactly she had gotten pregnant. She hadn't gotten worried until her period had been late, so that was pretty much a month window... _Eight months from now, they'll be trained and evolved. They can't be pets._

Ree wasn't aware she had been steadily walking towards the pokémon center until she nearly ran into another trainer coming out of it. "Woah! Oh—sorry," she said, backing up a step to avoid getting hit.

"Excuse me," he said, scanning over the two grass pokémon by her feet. Eyes then conspicuously down her shirt, he smiled and added, "Nice team ya got there."

"Thanks," she said dryly. "I'm gay."

She pushed past him and his disappointed look, sliding door opening to reveal a shrieking trainer and a very confused—and panicking—bouffalant. Ree looked at the scene; it looked like it was straight out of a rodeo.

"Hey!" she called after the male trainer. He turned, head tilted to the side and eyebrow raised. "Do you have a bouffalant?"

"Yeah, why?" he asked, brow drawing together as he frowned.

"No reason." Ree turned and let the door slide shut on the crazy held within. She could go be social later. Her team wasn't in that bad of shape. "Hey guys, treats!" she said excitedly. Whippy danced in joy. "Let's come back after that's sorted out. He'll figure it out eventually. What do you guys want? Ice cream or something? I think I saw—" Her stomach growled loudly enough to cut her off. Ree wrapped her arms around herself and cast furtive looks around her. "...How about we eat an actual meal? I guess it is getting sorta late."

"Sni!" Whippy agreed at once.

As they walked away, she heard the panicked squawk of a trainer who just figured out he'd had his pokémon swapped. Ree whistled innocently as she quickly turned a corner to avoid the scene behind them. "I guess it'd be easier to just find a restaurant that's pokémon friendly. Think of it as... belated gift for the badge, and to welcome Harper on. I don't really know, I'm just want some fucking food in my stomach _now_."

Harper swooped off, but came back just moments later with a happy chirp. "Pii!" She circled around her trainer's head a couple times, beckoning to her.

Ree had to admit she was a little surprised that Harper led them to a cozy little outdoor cafe just down the street and half hidden away. Two other trainers were sitting with their teams, one chatting into a phone, the other tossing bits of something into the air for his deerling to catch in its mouth. It had an artsy, secretive air to it, yet it was more than welcoming. "...Huh. Well, aren't you a little bloodhound." Harper somersaulted in the air, chest puffed out with pride.

The waiter was a cute girl about her age, very casual and perky. She looked about ready to make off with Lala with how much attention she was heaping upon the whimsicott. "You don't see a whole lot of evolved pokémon in this town—I mean, like, relatively speaking an' all. Not that I haven't seem whimsicott before, but usually it's cottonee and petilil. Especially with the forest so close here."

"Oh, yeah. That's there." She'd heard horror stories about it from Maya and Scott both. She'd had half a chapter in her book warning her of the perils of wandering around in any of Unova's forests, and Pinwheel was definitely on that list. She winced as she looked in the direction she thought it lay. Dark, secluded, more wild pokémon, less civilization, even longer between cities... A natural maze. Foreboding. The thing of ghost stories. And with those stupid crime rates stuck in her head once more, Ree felt decidedly less hungry.

"So, what'll it be?" the server asked with a chipper smile. "We got, like, a whole bunch of pokémon food on our menu! We may not be a big chain restaurant, but we pride ourselves on serving only the best to our trainers."

"Uh, can we have a moment?" Ree gestured to the menu vaguely. The girl hopped off, curled hair bouncing behind her, and Ree looked over the list. The pokémon menu was larger than the human one. "Don't suppose any of you spontaneously learned the skill of reading recently?" Three blank looks met her. "Didn't think so..."

She had to shoo the annoyingly helpful waitress off a couple more times; it was time-consuming to have to read and describe an entire menu to three different beings. Lala didn't want anything with meat in it. Whippy couldn't decide whether he wanted something sweet or something else, and was quite put out that they didn't have anything sweet that involved chocolate and meat. Harper kept silent, though she had to listen to the menu's list twice before she had any input whatsoever. By the time Ree figured out what her three pokémon not only wanted but could remember them, half an hour had to have passed. She checked her phone as the waitress bustled back over; okay, she was wrong. Forty-seven minutes.

"Okay, let's see if I can get this fucking _right_ now." Ree took a deep breath, slapped the menu flat on the table, and pointed to Whippy first. "He wants the uh... That. The ducklett in pecha sauce, but no..."

She looked at him and he jumped up onto her lap with a fierce, "Sni!"

Ree wracked her brain. "Oh! Okay, ducklett in pecha sauce, but no mushrooms. Okay. Good. She," point at Lala, who crossed her arms with a judgmental look, "wants the tamato and pepper salad."

"You sure?" she asked Lala, eyebrows raised under her bangs. "That's a pretty spicy dish. Usually not something I see a lot of grass pokémon asking for."

"Whimsi!" Lala declared.

"Yeah, she was really sure she wanted it," Ree said with a roll of her eyes. She wasn't sure if Lala was trying to prove some sort of point or if she genuinely liked something that could burn her mouth off. But it was her choice, and she was adamant. "And Harper wants the sunflower seed suet."

"Alrighty. What about yourself?"

Ree blinked up at her, stomach rumbling to—very belatedly—remind her that she was there to eat, too. She hastily scanned over the menu. "Pizza! Oh sweet hell, pizza sounds awesome right now. Extra cheese, and um, fries on the side." Why was it so much easier to simply pick something off the menu as opposed to creating a cohesive meal plan for the rest of them? It was probably easier to get laws passed in the government.

"What would you all like to drink?"

Ree was _not_ stupid enough to bark up that tree. "We're having water," she told her flatly. Whippy deflated in her lap with a rebellious murmur. "...Well, _they'll_ have water, and I'll have the panpour pamtre punch." She smiled at the looks she got from her team. "We'll get dessert here, so calm down. I just don't want any of you having any more sugar than you strictly need. It's getting too late to have any of you on a sugar high." Oh boy had she found that out the hard way. Whippy smiled thinly and played with the frayed leaf on his tail.

"Alright! That shouldn't take too long, probably about twenty or so minutes. I'll bring your drinks right out. And you know, your pokémon _are_ allowed to sit in the chairs here, provided they don't break them."

Ree looked down at them. Whippy was on her lap, Harper on the back of the chair next to her. Lala was seated on her fluff, on the ground. As their server flounced off again, Ree nudged her whimsicott into the other chair. "Come on, be nice. Please? We're in public, so behave, and remember, I can still revoke dessert privileges."

Ree set Whippy in the chair Harper was perched on, and Lala clambered up onto the other one. The whimsicott and snivy looked rather alarmed at sitting at a table, though Ree quickly offered her backpack as a booster seat so he could at least see over the edge. Lala played with the silverware, curious and intrigued. Whippy was more intent on trying to reach the glass of water the girl set down in front of him. He was immensely relieved when she came back with a straw for them all.

"You're like a bunch of children, sheesh," Ree sighed, looking at them mess around. Whippy nearly knocked his glass over; thankfully, she saved it before they both got wet laps. Only Harper stayed on the chair's back, wings folded tight and looking at the two grass pokémon as if their infantile conduct was far beneath her. Ree reached over and stroked the feathers on her head. "Okay, Harper can behave in public. You two... Mister Snivy Whiplash! Don't eat the spoon." The spoon in question dropped out of his mouth and fell to the ground with a clang.

"Si-si-si," Lala snickered. She had tied the cloth napkin around her neck like a bandana, only it stuck straight out due to the fluff propping it up. At least it'd catch the crumbs.

Their food arrived as Ree's stomach complained again, though that may have been the blue drink she'd been nursing for however long it took. To her great surprise—as well as the guy with the deerling, judging on his look she caught across the cafe—Whippy and Lala had _manners_. Of course Harper did; she seemed to be a prim little lady. But the other two, they were the shock of the evening. For all their curiosity and messing around, they had food, and they weren't going to waste time doing anything else but eating. Lala's bib did a wonderful job at keeping her clean, and while there was no possible outcome that involved Whippy and sauce that didn't involve him covered in it, he kept the mess to himself and didn't splatter it everywhere.

Ree nibbled on her pizza, not all that hungry, after all. It smelled delicious, and didn't have too much grease on it, but her appetite had up and left. Typical. She mostly sucked on fries until they got soggy, eyes on her team.

About halfway through her salad, Lala's water had been refilled once, but she was doing quite well for how spicy it supposedly was. She tried to use a fork, but after failing to grasp it properly, gave up and moved back to her paws. After every couple bites, she paused to lick off her paws and wipe them on her fur, so aside from smudges near her hips, she was remarkably clean.

Whippy finished his ducklett in record time, though he busied himself afterward by drinking the sweet sauce. Ree gave him a couple fries to sop it up with—and hey, he probably needed vegetables. Even if they were fried. He was a grass pokémon, so they were supposed to like veggies, and he was still growing.

Harper had had to move onto a space on the table to access her plate, but she still seemed quite proper. She pecked delicately at the pile of... whatever it was. Like bird seed, but more vegetables and it looked sort of greasy. She was definitely enjoying it, however; she caught her trainer's eye and trilled happily. At least she seemed to be eating a balanced diet.

Ree made it most of the way through her fries and about a third of the way through her pizza. And horribly, she made it just about to the bottom of her glass. The drink was delicious, faintly tropical tasting, and far too addictive. She couldn't help but finish it. She groaned and rubbed her stomach, chin on the table, as her pokémon finished their meals.

"Was everything to your liking? Would you like any to-go boxes?"

"Yeah, please." Ree didn't bat an eye or lift her head as the waitress returned. Her stomach was definitely hurting. The server returned and was kind enough to scoop up the remains of her meal for her. Whippy and Harper had finished their meals, but Lala did have a little left, too. "You can put those in the same box. Unless it's poisonous."

"Almost all of the food served in restaurants has to be safe for human consumption, and the rest of it is warned against. So it's totally fine," the girl chirped in reply. "So, miss whimsicott, you liked the spiciness?"

"Scott," Lala said contentedly, rubbing her full belly. She looked pregnant. Ree snorted and scooted off her chair, eying the bill. It wasn't terrible, really, but jeez. Those three could pack it away. She made sure to leave a nice tip for the girl and made a mental note to come back. And get more panpour pamtre punch.

"I owe you all a dessert for when you're not stuffed, 'kay? Until then... It's getting late. Let's just... ugh. Let's just head back to the center," Ree ground out, swallowing past the bad taste in her mouth. She wasn't going to get sick. She wasn't going to get sick. If she told herself that enough, maybe it'd help. She wasn't going to get sick.

Harper led the way; her full stomach obviously didn't hamper her flying ability. That was useful. Or maybe she wasn't as full as Ree had thought. But her meal had been nearly the size of her...

"Pokémon are crazy," she muttered as the glass doors slid open for them, revealing a slightly less packed pokémon center. Her pokémon weren't in too bad of shape; she didn't want to have to fight her way to the counter again. And maybe she was a little paranoid about losing Harper again. She wasn't going to risk it. Ree couldn't help but look at the news, but it was just fading from the weather to a rehash of the same story. That meant that there wasn't anything new. Besides, surely... Surely she would've heard if something else had happened. Surely.

Her stomach gave an unpleasant lurch and Ree froze, momentarily terrified she'd puke in the middle of the pokémon center.

But the feeling passed with a burp, she tried to remember what number the room had been. On the second floor, she remembered that much. Whippy scampered up the stairs, apparently quite enthralled by them, and then down again. And then up again. Harper still flew around them. Despite the cramped quarters, she was a small bird, and had no problem maneuvering. She flitted down the hall and circled around towards the end of it with a tweet.

She darted back and forth in front of one particular door. 246. The six... That seemed sorta familiar. And Harry had said the second floor. Ree rubbed her stomach again and knocked on the door.

The door opened to reveal a young girl with long, sandy hair, half of it obscuring her face. That wasn't the redhead, though she had mentioned staying with other girls—"Ree!" Before anything could be said between the two of them, they turned to find the redhead that she'd been looking for. She was several doors down, smiling in surprise. "Silly, that's not our room. Two _thirty_ six."

Ree looked back at the 246 on the door. Harper had been close. "Uh, sorry," she mumbled awkwardly and quickly marched away from the younger trainer. Her stomach churned again, though the feeling wasn't as fleeting this time around. "Hey, Harry." What did one say to a stranger they'd just met?

"You coming in for the night? I-I suppose you are, I mean, why else would you be here... Oh! Come in, come in." Harry stepped back and held the door open for them. Harper landed on Ree's shoulder, nestling up to her neck. "There are two other girls staying with us, but because of that, um, we've decided that we have a no pokémon policy in the room. Sorry, it's just... That'd be a lot of them, between us all."

Ree caught a glimpse of a girl with really long brown hair, falling off the bed, and another girl seated on the floor next to her, both of them younger than her and even Harry. Then her drink had finally decided it had had enough with her body. In a stunning show of solidarity, the rest of her stomach's contents decided to join it. She bolted for the bathroom, dislodging Harper, and just barely made it in time to throw up a stomach full of blue into the toilet.

"A-Are you alright?" Harry yelped, frozen to the spot where Ree had rushed past her. Ree spat into the bowl, throat feeling nasty in addition to her belly, and then rested her head against the counter next to it. The movement jarred the redhead into rushing in, hovering nervously over her. "Are you okay? Oh my gosh... That's a lot of blue. Did you eat something bad? Are you sick?"

"I drank something," Ree grumbled.

"Are you okay?" Harry repeated with worry. Whippy approached his trainer and set his claws on her leg, looking up at her with big, concerned eyes. Lala, predictably, gave her a very wide berth.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ree spat again before flushing. Wow, best introduction to roommates ever. She'd have to tell Maya about that one—well. Assuming her sister came back. _Of course she'll fucking come back, she's the best damn trainer I know_, she thought sourly. "I just had this drink, and it was awesome, and then it didn't want to be in me anymore."

Harry gaped at her.

Ree edged past her and rinsed out her mouth in the sink, valiantly resisting the blush-in-embarrassment reflex. She'd done worse in front of strangers. At least she had made it into the bathroom. And she had known it was coming. It could've been so much worse. At least it hadn't be _on_ anyone. "I'm allergic to blue dye, so it's nothing life-threatening. I just get sick off of it. It's not a huge fuckin' deal, seriously."

"If you're allergic to it... Why did you drink something with it?"

"I'll stop drinking it when blue shit stops being the best flavor." Ree had gotten drunk off the power of being a trainer; no more family or boyfriend to beat her back from inhaling everything bad for her. It was disturbing how little she minded throwing up afterward, but it was usually too good to pass up. Ree claimed one of the towels and wiped off her face, then sauntered back into the room. "So hi then. I'm Ree."

The two preteen girls stared dumbly back up at her.

"...Oh, um. Girls, this is Ree, the trainer who got mixed up with Jackster earlier." Harry smiled nervously as Ree sat down on one of the other beds, rummaging around in her pack for the pokeballs for her team. It'd be a little weird, sleeping without them. But maybe a quieter change of pace. And after such a first impression, she wasn't going to break the rule of the room. "Ree, this is June, and her cousin, Lana. I spent the night with them last night, too."

"You're okay, right?" June, the one with the long, brown hair, asked with a shockingly out of place accent. Ree blinked at her, trying to place it. She belatedly nodded.

"So..." Lana said awkwardly, tapping her fingers on her knee. Unlike her cousin, she had a pixie cut and hair dyed shades of blue and green. "How long have you been training? I mean, you're older than all of us, but if those were your only pokémon, you can't be too experienced."

"Oh, no. Hell no. I just started a little over a week ago, only one badge." Ree unlaced her shoes and let her feet relax. Harry sat down on the bed next to her, giving her little glances. "I'm here to eventually challenge Lenora, but I need to train like fuck for awhile until then, so I think I'll be in town for awhile."

"Yeah, I'm in the same boat," Lana said with a smile, finally breaking the tension. "I just got in two days ago, right before the shit hit the fan here. I was showing June around, and then that happened..."

"It was unfortunate timing," June agreed with that strange accent of hers. It wasn't Castelian, and Ree was pretty sure it wasn't northwestern. Scott's dad was in the east, but he didn't sound like that either. She caught Ree's visible confusion and offered her a wry smile. "I'm not from around here. I'm Sinnohan."

Ree stared at her. She'd only ever met one other kid from another country, and that had been a foreign exchange student from Johto. They simply didn't get many foreigners in Unova, but especially in the suburb she grew up in.

"So yeah, she got over here, just to have travel lock down and her parents screaming bloody murder at us both. I mean, The Tournament was hell enough, and now this. You should just move over here. We're quieter," Lana said with a smile up at her.

"My sister's in Sinnoh right now," Ree offered, unsure of what else to say. "She's the rep from here, and she's... stuck in Sunyshore."

"Ouch."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. She's my younger sister, but she's a damn good trainer. She could only take three of her pokémon over there, though, so... I'm worried. Well, no, I was about to beat someone's head in with a brick earlier." Ree pointed back at Harry. "That's about when I met her."

She blushed up to her hair. "I-I'm sorry! That must have been stressful."

"It is. But at least I'm not stuck in another country while it's going on, I guess." All eyes were back on June.

"I'm not from Sunyshore, I'm from a little suburb of Jubilife, and they don't have a gym there. I haven't heard anything from them for over a day now, but... I'm pretty sure they're all safe." She fidgeted with her long hair. Then, she sat up straighter and crossed her legs in front of her. "They'll be alright. I mean, you have to believe that, right? There's always hope in these sorts of situations."

"Yeah. I just hope it finally quiets down over there," Harry said. "...But, uh, why don't we talk about some happier topics? Oh! I know—Ree, what's your favorite color? I'll make you socks!"

Ree gave her a look that she rather thought straddled incredulous and flat rather well. Lana burst out laughing. "Harry has the most badges out of all of us, and she _knits_ in her spare time. Not battling, not training, but knitting."

"H-Hey! After I got Shady... I'm just sort of taking a break right now," she replied with a sniff. "And I'll have you know it's quite lucrative."

Having a Sinnohan girl in the room with her bizarre accent didn't let Ree forget about Maya's plight as she would've otherwise liked, but with her stomach settled (if growling) and the pleasant gossip only female trainers could create, it wasn't so bad. She didn't miss her pokémon as much as she thought she would. Harry did indeed knit and apparently quite well; she pulled out a set of needles and a half-finished... something... and idly worked as she talked. The clacking of the needles was nice after awhile.

"So why did you become a trainer?" Lana asked with a bright smile.

Ree balked and quickly hid it with an unconvincing smile. "It's not my first time trying it."

"Oh, I know how that is," June said with a knowing nod. "I quit once, too. Just a couple months ago, in fact."

"I quit four times," Ree replied with a grin. "This is my fifth attempt, and so far, most successful. I've never gotten more than one pokémon before, and never a badge."

"How did you beat the first gym? I had a hell of a time with him."

"Stun spore is _very_ flammable."

"Woah, really?"

"So is string shot," Harry advised. "Only that's usually still attached to the pokémon, so... Be careful with that one."

"And poison powder," June added with a grimace.

"I'm going to have to get a fire pokémon, just to light all this stuff on fire," Lana decreed. "My own personal flamethrower."

-.-.-

Ree and three other girls circled around the television the next morning, pancakes forgotten as they watched the news. It repeated a clip of the champion of Sinnoh, a severe looking man with sunglasses, covered in soot and followed by an alakazam, glared evilly at the camera. He was followed by three boys all equally blackened by smoke and ash—one with glasses and hood pulled up so it obscured much of his face, one with a ponytail and possibly a colder glare than the champion, and the shortest one with a severe limp.

The clip ended as they stormed out of the pokémon center. The view changed over to a clip in front of the Sunyshore gym, where one of the glass doors had a blood splatter on it that a girl with dark skin was furiously trying to scrub off. A man with orange hair and a cigarette chased the cameras away soon after that, as the Unovan reporter narrated, "No media personnel are allowed into any of the Sinnohan gyms yet, but we've been receiving news reports from official sources as well as unofficial ones, as the phone and internet connections have been slowly restored across the region, about the status of the region.

"The elite four all survived with minimal injuries, as well as the champion. Two of Sinnoh's gym leaders have been killed and two more hospitalized, though we are not sure of the severity of their injuries. Nearly two dozen people were killed across the nation, though many of them were centralized in the north and east. Tensions with other countries remain high, especially in light of the evidence that two of the foreign representatives had been impersonated and were, in fact, part of the attack.

"Though we have not been able to see her yet, we have had official word from the champion himself that our national representative is alive and not in any hospital," the reporter said solemnly as it switched back to him. "It seems as if the disaster itself may be over, but what does it mean for the future of the region? Unovan officials remain distant and unsure, but after this, I believe I am not alone in saying that we are only hoping for some peace in coming weeks as this is wrapped up."

Ree was unaware of the tears down her cheeks until Harry pointed them out. She really didn't mind. June was scrubbing at her eyes, too, anyway. It was okay. Sinnoh was still stupid, but her sister, her Maya, she was still alive.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: With the team reunited and Ree wiser to such accidents in the packed city, training montage time! Tensions slowly slip away as the Sinnoh problems fade away, but with Maya returning in just a couple days, Ree has a new problem: keeping her curious and very capable sister from tracking her down. The team's dynamic stabilizes, and slowly, they grow.


	6. Of Distractions

Maya, crying, ran into her mother's arms. "No, no!" The small child buried her face into the woman's shirt. Her father exchanged a helpless smile with her mother. Ree had been afraid of the serperior, and while, years later, she had overcome it (mostly), her sister had taken on the same childish fear. There was always that one pokémon in any zoo, after all.

"What are you afraid of, sweetie?" her mother asked softly, brushing back her curly hair from her face. Maya looked up at her with watery eyes.

"Fire!"

The couple looked out over the exhibit; it was only fire pokémon in it. There were even some foreign pokémon in it, which was incredibly rare. They thought it'd be a treat to see the new pokémon, but instead, they got a crying daughter. Which reminded them of their other—they were singularly unsurprised to find Ree laying halfway over the railing, struggling to try to reach a grazing camerupt.

"You get down from there right now, young lady!" Ree froze, knowing she was caught, and guiltily looked back at her parents.

"But I _want_ one," she said pathetically.

"She's gonna get a fire!" Maya shrieked suddenly and flailed towards her sister. Ree grinned evilly and leapt back up the fence, climbing up as if she were one of the darmanitan. Maya screamed and reached for her. Her father strode over and plucked her from the fence with a stern look.

"If you misbehave one more time, we're leaving," he threatened.

Ree was never one to back down from a challenge, however. Maya calmed down once they moved on to the braviary exhibit, but all hell broke loose when they reached the petting zoo. They were definitely leaving afterward, escorted off the premises, after Ree managed to single-handedly let loose all of the blitzle.

-.-.-

**Chapter Six**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Distractions

-.-.-

"Okay guys, we have to do some serious training now. No more distractions!" Ree declared, hands on her hips. Her three eyed her with varying levels of a mixture of curiosity and outright distrust. "I'm serious! We have to challenge Lenora, and the sooner, the better. She's tough, I guess. We're not gonna be able to get by like last time," she said with a pointed look for Lala.

Her whimsicott sniffed and turned her nose up in the air.

"Exactly. I like how you guys _all_ work together now that Harper's on the team, but I don't think any gym matches are triple battles. I don't even think any are double, so we have to strengthen all of you. And teamwork, too, for the rest of the time. This isn't just gym battles, I guess, but yeah. Time to buckle down and take this seriously," she continued. "And to do that, we're gonna battle. A _lot_. I don't want any of you whining about it, but wild pokémon, trainers, it's gonna be anything that moves. We're gonna train like... like... like I don't even know. Level up and shit and then go save the princess or fight Bowser and save the world."

"Snivy," Whippy growled.

"Okay, get the badges. But we can _pretend_, okay? I don't have any awesome descriptions for just getting the badges on a time limit. It's sort of boring."

"What are you doing?" Ree jumped and turned to find Harry, hands held behind her back, looking a little concerned.

"...You don't talk to your pokémon?"

"I don't give them speeches... So you want to collect all of the badges?" She came and sat down on the bench beside her with a bright smile. Ree nodded. She'd heard that a certain amount of friendliness was common among trainers, and had come across several instances, but she still hadn't gotten fully used to it. Age gaps were nothing anymore; the only gaps were between badges. "I only have three of them, but I'm in the minority back here. Most people in town—especially since it got so crowded lately—only have one. New trainers."

"Like me."

"There's nothing wrong with being new."

"It's just hard. I'm not used to little brats waltzing by and beating my team into the dust." Ree looked down at her trio once more and narrowed her eyes. "But that won't be happening much longer, _right_ guys?" Three shakes of the head. One less communication barrier down; she was proud of them.

"You're training up to battle Lenora, right?" Harry asked. Ree nodded again. "She's pretty tough, but you have to be smart to get through her gym. A lot of trainers stumble on that—n-not that they're not smart, but they aren't expecting it. Riddles and things—it looks like a library in there, too."

"Where exactly in the gym?" Ree asked, thinking of the Striaton gym. It had been based in a restaurant.

"Oh, it's in the museum. The back of it, but it's all very smart and sophisticated and I like it in there. It smells nice. I could show you where it is, if you'd like—it's just up on the northern side of the city."

Might as well scope out the terrain. "Okay." Ree stood up with a stretch. Harry stood up as well, and Ree once again couldn't help but notice the height difference. She was taller and older than most other trainers, and still less experienced. And once she started showing... She'd be a freak of nature.

She must've made a face, because Harry asked, "Are you okay? Are you going to get sick again?"

"Oh—no, I'm fine. Just thinking. It's not something I should do regularly," Ree chuckled and waved her off. Harper fluttered into the air and circled around them, gaining altitude, and Whippy made to crawl up her leg. "No, Whippy. You're walking, you need the exercise."

He whined and tried to use his big eyes against her, but she mustered her willpower and shook her head. "Sni," he grumbled and scampered off.

"Don't stray too far! And don't pick fights in the city!" she called after him.

"You're just going to let your snivy wander off?" Harry asked with wide eyes. Ree shrugged; he was responsible—okay, he wasn't, but he wasn't stupid. ...Too stupid. "Wow, I, uh... Wow."

"He'll be okay. He's at least strong enough to have a fighting chance against most things he'd antagonize." Lala soon bounced off in the same direction. Harper tweeted at her figure, but stuck close overhead, lazily flying back and forth and keeping an eye on things. "See? Harper can be my watch pokémon. She's responsible enough not to let either of them die or anything."

"But—what if something happens? There have been a lot of thieves in the area, lately, and there's always poachers near the forest..." Just like that, all of the warnings and dire facts from her book came back to slap her in the face. Without anything more to Harry, Ree tore after her pokémon.

Her pidove swooped low and flew at eye level, occasionally chirping, as if to direct her. They found Lala first and Ree scooped her up. "New rule! You don't even run away from me again, okay? You stay close to me from now on," she snapped. Lala, taken aback, only nodded dumbly. Still carrying her under one arm, Ree followed Harper at a slightly slower pace.

Harry ran up beside her, panting and very confused. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to suggest that the city is just full of crime—"

"No—It's fine, I mean. I just... worry about them." Ree could only think of her panic when she had thought Harper was stolen. She couldn't go through that ordeal again without a heart attack. "I'm sorry. You must think I'm crazy, but I... don't deal well with this sort of thing."

"I, um, figured that out yesterday," Harry admitted with a smile.

Harper whistled from down an adjacent street. Both girls looked in that direction, and both were quite shocked to see the little bird laboriously carrying a struggling snivy by the tail. Whippy hissed and swung, but couldn't quite reach up to her. Ree was simply astonished that Harper could carry that much weight, much less a wiggling weight. With a tired murmur, Harper dropped him at her trainer's feet and perched on her shoulder, nuzzling up against her cheek. "Fucking shit, Harper. How did a little thing like you carry him?"

"Snivy-sni!" Whippy said at once, affronted.

"I know you're not that big, but she's a lot tinier than you," Ree soothed and allowed him to climb up her leg and into her free arm. She felt bogged down again with all three of them on her, but the very thought of someone stealing them was worth it. She would rather be tired and sore. "But goddamn, Harper. You're a monster. The awesome kind."

"Pokémon are a lot stronger than people are," Harry informed her helpfully. "Jackster isn't as big as, say, a ponyta, but he can carry me without much problem."

"I guess so..." Ree knew that, but she supposed she hadn't known to what extent. Whippy was one thing; she could _feel_ his muscles underneath his scales, and he seemed to be made of nothing but that. Lala wasn't quite the same, and was a little squishier, but she was also a little larger. To be fair, too, she hadn't seen her whimsicott carry anything. But Harper was tiny, and a bird. They weren't exactly known for their super strength. "I guess I'm newer to this pokémon thing than I'd like to admit."

"Everyone was new some time," Harry said happily. "I just started out with Jackster, and I was terrified of him straining something or carrying me or anything. And, well, _he_ was terrified, too, and I guess he hasn't gotten past that... But I trust him and his strength."

"Yeah, about that. _Why_ is your blitzle scared of his own shadow?" Ree couldn't help but asked with a frown. She couldn't imagine dealing with a pokémon that panicky or flighty, especially one that was liable to electrocute things when scared enough.

"He's just..." Harry paused, searching for the words. Ree and Whippy exchanged a look. "People are different, and pokémon are all different. I'll never find another Jackster, just like I won't find another Shady."

"Which one's that?"

"Oh, she's my litwick. She's the newest member of my team," the redheaded girl said with a beam so bright it was blinding. "I'm not out there battling as much as I used to, and I'm still working out the kinks on our teamwork, but she's a great addition."

"How many pokémon do you have?"

"Just those three. Jackster, my blitzle, Hattie, my sewaddle, and Shady, my litwick."

Ree looked down at the three on her. "...So I have one badge and three pokémon, and you have three badges and three pokémon," she summed up. "The fuck is up with that? Am I ahead of the curve, or are you behind?"

"I-I'm a little behind, but my pokémon are strong! Jackster is an _excellent_ battler when he's not so scared!" she insisted fervently, hands balled into fists. Ree smiled wryly and tried not to laugh at the mental image. "I'm serious! He's just shy, a-and he's scared of a lot of things, but that doesn't mean he can't be brave or strong."

"Okay, okay." Still, she shouldn't argue with the trainer who outranked her. Ree spotted a park down the street and headed that way, already eying the couple of trainers with their frolicking pokémon. She could let them battle where she could keep an eye on them, and maybe she'd be able to talk Harry into battling someone. She'd _love_ to see an electric pokémon in action when it wasn't running in terror. Or tripping over its scarf. "Why is he wearing a scarf? Your blitzle, I mean."

"I made that for him," she said proudly. "I make lots of things, but he loves that scarf... It's made out of mareep wool, so it helps his electricity, too."

"Huh. That's pretty cool—are there other types of wool that help pokémon like that?"

"Oh no. Mareep wool helps conduct electricity and can even store it, which is partly why his is so long, but there's not a lot of other types of material you can knit with. And in Unova, mareep wool is _really_ rare and expensive, so I usually work with whimsicott yarn. It's a lot cheaper and more common here." They both eyed the over-fluffed Lala.

"...So you can shear whimsicott?" Ree asked delicately.

"Yes, but you must be careful about it. Their fluff grows quite fast, and if you don't do it right, it won't stop growing afterward until it's actually dangerous to the whimsicott's health," Harry said quickly.

That would certainly explain why Lala's fluff was growing so quickly. Ree was far from an expert shearer. "Do you know how to stop something like that? I mean, she's getting kind of crazy here." She nudged Whippy up onto her other shoulder and held Lala out in front of herself with both hands. Lala growled at the treatment. "I've been having to cut her fluff every day now, just to stop it from getting out of control—it gets caught on branches, and bushes, and _everything_."

"I've never had one before... But I think you'd just stop cutting it so much. Only trim a little every day, until the growing slows down. I mean, once her body realizes that it's not getting shorn, it should stop, right?" Harry guessed.

She had wanted some quick fix, and from the dirty look, she surmised Lala had, too. At least it was something. "Ah well. We'll try that, right?" Lala turned her dirty look on her. "Right," Ree said dryly and set down on the ground. "You stay close and stay _in_ the park. Don't get into any trainer fights without _my_ say-so, got it?"

"Whim," she replied and bounded off. Ree sighed. She had no idea if that was an agreement or some spiteful parting.

"Do you have translators for your pokémon?" Ree asked as she shrugged Whippy off as well. He did well and stuck close, as did Harper.

Harry shook her head. "No. They're rather expensive around here, and I've been with Jackster and Hattie so long, I can usually understand what they're trying to tell me, anyway."

"Woah, really? How long did that take?" Ree pounced upon the question with glee. If she could get past that stupid language barrier without splurging for translators, then all would be right in the world. She could communicate with her team and teamwork would improve drastically and they could plot together and get the badges even faster.

"Oh, just a couple—" Harry jumped as a fast-paced song ripped through the otherwise nice scene. Harper screeched and flapped off into a tree, and several other pokémon nearby started as well. Ree guiltily dug her phone out of her pocket.

It was Maya's ringtone. Ever since she'd known her sister was safe and on the way home, she had been dreading this phone call. She had half a mind to simply ignore it.

"...Hello?"

"Ree Adelaide Majors, _where the hell are you_?" Maya demanded shrilly, voice loud enough to create static over their connection. Ree winced and held the phone away from her poor ear. "I come home from that—that exhausting ordeal, and you're _gone_? No welcome back for your own sister? Where have you gone off to this time?"

"I'm, uh... I'm just on a shopping trip to Castelia," she lied, and horribly at that. Harry coughed awkwardly and shuffled off a polite distance, pretending to be absorbed in whistling to Harper. Ree turned her back to them and took a couple paces herself, lowering her voice more.

"That is BS, and you know it! Mom says you've off and become a trainer again!" Well, that purrloin was out of the bag.

"...Did she tell Scott?" Ree asked, pressing her free hand against her eyes. She _knew_ that Maya would find out, but if by some stroke of awesome luck she could avoid having Scott find out—no. He _would_ find out eventually. It was just a matter of how soon. Nine months suddenly seemed terribly long to be by herself...

"...I don't think so," Maya said curtly. "He doesn't know?"

"No, not yet. I'd prefer if he didn't," Ree replied, just as short. There was a long pause that had her mind churning. Training was a good excuse, but no doubt everyone expected her to give up in a matter of days. Or were tremendously surprised she hadn't already. But what about another week from then? A month? Five months? Yes, training was a valid excuse to be away from home for such a long time, but this was her fifth time. No one was going to expect success from her.

"Why?" Maya asked.

Ree, for once, was ready with an excuse. "He wasn't there for my previous attempts. I don't want him... being disappointed in me." The last sentence had more emotion in it than she'd anticipated and she clamped her mouth shut to prevent herself from giving anything else away.

"Oh, Ree..." Her little sister sighed, but it was an understanding sort of sigh. She hoped. "...Why didn't you tell me?"

"We haven't spoken since I set out. Either my phone or your phone was dead in between then and now," she muttered.

"Are you doing okay? Tell me about it." Oh, now all sunshine and smiles. Ree knew her sister better than that, however, and she wasn't going to slip up now. She still had to ensure Maya didn't tell Scott for as long as possible.

"Well, uh... I got a snivy. And I've caught two more since then... And I have a badge." There was no pride or joy in her words; she was only reciting facts. Ree frowned at that. A badge and three pokémon. She liked those things, yes, but the accomplishments themselves didn't make her happy. They weren't anything special.

Them and their non-specialness were currently harassing an annoyed preteen with a tepig.

Ree gave a start at the sudden burst of flames that let her know it was getting serious. "_Shit_! Guys—get away from it! This isn't a battle!" She looked around wildly for Harry, but the redhead was a safe distance away and only shook her head helplessly at her team's antics. "Shit Maya I gotta go my pokémon are going to get roasted alive we'll talk about this later _bye_!" she finished all in one breath and hung up without waiting for a response. Birds were one thing, but fire was quite another. Aside from that pansear from the gym, they hadn't had much experience with direct flames.

"Sni!" Whippy called excitedly as Ree ran over to them. He ducked under a jet of fire and she noticed that it luckily wasn't her three on the one tepig. Well, luckily because she didn't want a three-on-one _and_ get her ass handed to her. It actually just made the problem worse because there was also a purrloin and another pidove out, too. Harper and the other bird were trading blows overhead with squawks and screeches, which left her two grass pokémon with a fast feline and a bringer of fiery death.

"You—you guys, just stop this!" She ran around them, but Lala bounded by, shedding stun spore. She knew better than to get close to that. Not a moment later, it burst into flame in front of her, temporarily blinding her—and by the sound of it, the opponents as well. "Fuck! Lala, stop that! Whippy, return here, _now_!"

"Vee," he growled from somewhere to her extreme left. There was a yowl as the purrloin got hit.

"Hey, other trainer!" Ree called, searching out the kid again as her watery eyes returned to their normal vision range. "I call off this battle!"

"Not-uh! You're just saying that 'cause you're losing!"

She ground her teeth together. She wasn't about to get into a pissing match with a little kid, even if he was blatantly refusing her forfeit. Then again, it wasn't as if she wanted to pay the little brat. Change of plan—they'd win this if she had to beat them into it herself. "Lala, you're on that tepig! Slow it down and keep it occupied! Whippy, take out that purrloin as fast as you can, and stay away from that fire!"

He held up his tail with a dismissive air. It was probably only common sense that prevented him from doing anything else to spite her and her silly commandments. Lala, for once, was okay with following orders. Then again, Ree had really just said aloud what they had been doing anyway...

She craned her neck back to look at the pidove overhead. She felt a stab of guilt when she realized she couldn't tell which was her own. "Harper!" She got a tweet in response, but they were so close to each other and so fast, it was impossible to tell which it had come from. "You, uh... You can do it! You got this in the bag, baby girl! Just outrun it and wear it down, and—!" One of the pidove dropped out of the air, the other diving after it. Ree jumped back in surprise as they both hit the ground with a nasty thump. One ended up on top, claws triumphantly over the fallen's splayed wings, and for a heartbeat, she wondered which one it was.

Then the pidove chirped at her and flapped tiredly up to her shoulder. "Pii," Harper murmured and nuzzled up to her cheek.

"Yes! Okay—!" Harper was too tired to really go back out and do a whole lot of damage, and she didn't want to send her in just to get knocked out a moment later. Two on two was still... sorta fair. If only there wasn't that fire everywhere. As she watched, Whippy managed to outstrip the purrloin and get around behind it, slashing viciously with his tail. There was suddenly blood everywhere, and the purrloin collapsed. Two on one! She tried not to think of Aubie as the other trainer returned his injured purrloin. "Two on one now! Come on guys, you can do it!"

With that, Lala's stun spore got a little too close for comfort as it exploded. She was thrown forcefully into the air and folded over the branch of a nearby tree. With a little groan, she fainted and fell out. Ree was just a hair too late to return her before she hit the ground.

"...One on one, okay!" Ree called, a little faintly. Whippy was up against a fire pokémon. He was faster, _and_ Lala had managed to successfully paralyze it as well as wound it. But that type disadvantage... "Okay, Whippy—"

"Vee-vee, snivy!" he called rudely and turned his back on her. The message was clear.

"You don't turn away from your trainer! If you want to win, you—"

"Snivy," he repeated in a sing-song voice and leapt at the tepig. It squealed but couldn't get away in time, and he latched onto its shoulder with sharp teeth and claws. He tore at it, but its hide must've been fairly tough—and too late, he realized that it was hot as well. He danced away, licking at his burnt claws with a whine and tear-filled eyes for his trainer.

"Don't look at me. _You're_ the one who wants to do it his own way," she said flatly.

He looked back at the tepig, which appeared to be trying to cauterize its own wounds as its trainer hovered over it. Smart little piggy. Whippy looked back up at Ree and she tilted her head to the side. She could see the gears turning in his mind. Vine whip was the only moderately ranged attack he had at that stage in his growth, but it still involved direct contact with the tepig. He couldn't seem to decide whether or not to risk that.

He slithered over to his trainer and looked up at her with big lillipup eyes. She couldn't help but gasp in delight. On his own, he'd just decided to ask for her help in a battle. A turning point in their relationship! Now she could just get Lala under control, and help them all to grow and foster more teamwork, and everything would be perfect—

The tepig shot a jet of flames at her snivy, only missing because he ran out of the way—in front of her—and it didn't want to scorch her as well. At least one of them had morals.

"Okay, Whippy. ...No more using me as a sort of reverse shield, but we'll discuss that later. You either stay far away or very close to that tepig, okay?" He looked up at her in confusion. "If it's far away, you can dodge and use Vine Whip. If you're up close, it can't reach you. I know it hurts to be near it for too long, but it may be your only way to beat it. Don't you want to win?"

"Sni!" he cried with a fierce expression and leapt at the tepig again. It squealed once more and tried to hit him with a preemptive tackle, but it was only partially successful. The two tussled and fought for control, but he was still in front of it, and _far_ too close to its snout.

Just as she opened her mouth to shout more directions that her snivy would potentially follow, her phone blared out loud rock music. The pokémon both jumped and disengaged, looking around for the source of the noise. Ree flailed for Whippy to attack it again while it was distracted as she fished for her cell phone. He caught on at the last moment and dove for the swine, swinging around its neck to claw and bite at its shoulders and back.

"Hello?" she asked breathlessly.

"Uh, hi." Ree nearly dropped the phone. In her haste to answer and get Whippy to attack while the opportunity was there, she hadn't checked the caller ID. It was Scott. "...Are you busy or something?"

The tepig threw Whippy off and bathed the area in embers once more, ones that it was getting more and more difficult to dodge at a longer range. She tried to cover the phone and shrieked, "Fucking hell, _tackle it_! Get on it—tackle it and grind its nose into the dirt!" Whippy used his vines to launch himself over the flames and landed on the tepig once more. That was a neat trick; she'd have to make sure he practiced that one. Trying to buy time and sound innocent, Ree turned away from the hectic battle and said, "No, I'm not busy. What's up?" As if she didn't want to throw the phone and run in the opposite direction.

Not that she didn't _want_ to talk to her boyfriend... She just didn't want to in the middle of a battle. One that was admittedly getting blown up to rather large proportions, but hell, if her little snivy could beat a fire pokémon mostly by himself, she had a right to be worked up. It was a step in the right direction. And Scott made her feel all sorts of confused, muddled emotions that she usually fought with simple avoidance.

She caught the tail end of some sort of description from Scott. "...I'm still debating on a name, maybe Darius or Axel or Dante or something." She tried to process what he was talking about, but that was easier said than done when the tepig had gotten away from her snivy again and they were loudly racing around their little arena.

"Get it get it get it! No—shit! Don't let it burn you! No no no—catch the little assmonger! Bite it and don't let go this time!" Ree returned to her phone call with a sweet, "Oh, uh, that sounds cute." She had no idea what sounded cute. "What are those again?"

"Are you _sure_ you're not busy doing something?" Scott asked curiously. She glanced back at the wrestling pokémon behind her. Not yet. He couldn't know yet. Put it off for as long as possible.

"Nope! I'm fine! Just—socializing." It wasn't as if she liked lying to him, she told herself. It was just so much simpler that way. He'd find out eventually, either way. The longer, the better... "So, uh, new pokémon, huh?"

"Darumaka," he reminded her gently.

"Daruthing, gotcha. Is it cute? Cute as a cotton ball?" She cringed as Whippy got bucked off the tepig _again_. What was it, greased? He was quicker on the draw that time around, however, and simply bounced back toward it and tackled it. He got it pinned on its side, snout pointed safely away, and—oh shit Scott was talking again. Better pay attention to that.

"—Fire pokémon, so you'd like him. Wanna come over and play with him?" Her mind was already searching out another excuse. Bleeding was out the window, damn it. Blissfully ignorant to her plight (in its entirety, thankfully), Scott cheerily continued, "We can brainstorm names and play Mario Kart until our fingers bleed again."

The worst part is that that sounded positively _delightful_ right then. Ree groaned and stomped her foot, trying her best to maintain a level tone as she blatantly ignored him. "So, fire pokémon. Unnamed. Boy, cute, red?" Most fire pokémon were red. It was a safe assumption.

"Yeah."

"Snivy!" Whippy called. She gave him a pleading look and a 'just a moment' gesture, hoping he'd continue being awesome until she could stop juggling life-before-pregnancy and life-after-pregnancy.

And then she realized that her boyfriend, father of the thing in her belly, was asking her for names. Ree's mind completely gave up at that point. "...I'm not good with names." Names. Did she name the baby? If it was adopted out, did she get to? What would she name another human being? What—no, no, he was only asking for a pokémon. They were different. That wasn't hers. Why were her eyes so suddenly itchy? "...I-I guess you should just name him something awesome."

"Like?" Oh, he sounded so normal and happy and carefree. Not out battling—well, he was a pro, he'd certainly know what to do in that situation and it was probably _not_ leaving a snivy alone with a tepig—and not worrying about an accidental pregnancy or trying to get gym badges on a time limit. Oh, wait. Her eyes weren't itchy, they were simply getting teary.

Names, names. Names for a red fire pokémon that wasn't her child and didn't affect her in the least. She could do that. "...I don't know. Damian?" That wasn't very creative. She tried to remember video games she'd recently played. "Desmond? Dorito? Bob? Oh—Dorito—instead, Barbeque! Name him Barbeque!" Absolutely perfect for a fire thing. Just like what was happening with her snivy behind her.

Scott laughed. Ree hadn't realized how much she had missed the sound until then. And it had only been a _week_, seriously. She had to get a grip before this spiraled away from herself—more than it was, anyway. "Okay, looks like I have Barbeque the darumaka. Are you gonna come over and see him?"

"I can't," she said flatly.

"Busy?" She could only muster a grunt that time around. Scott sighed. "Haven't seen you around for awhile, and Maya's been gone, too. It's so quiet around here." She was _not_ about to tell him that her sister was back. That would only lead to terrible things, like him finding out about this silly quest.

"I've been out and about." Not a lie. Ree looked back at the battle and was relieved to see that Whippy wasn't down for the count just yet. He was a little more scorched than he had been just minutes prior, but he was still ripping at the tepig with gusto.

"Shopping trip?"

She leapt upon it gratefully. "Yep! Just, uh, just a town over. Which is why I've been gone! I'm guessing you noticed?"

"Just a little."

There was a long, awkward pause. Shopping trips, even to Castelia, only lasted a couple days at the maximum. It was just buying herself more time. "...When I get back," she lied, "I'll see if I can't get you a couple presents." Like a baby. Not that she was going to keep it, but... surely, one day, she'd have to tell him about it. Or could she keep it as her dirty little secret for the rest of her life?

The weight of what she was trying to do crashed down around her.

"I'll see you later, Scottie," she said hurriedly.

"I'll call you later. Love you, bye."

"Uh, yeah. Love you too."

The phone call was finally over. And as she slumped against the tree, she found that the battle was, too. Whippy and the tepig both lay there, unmoving. She felt as if it was some sort of deep metaphor for her life right then, but she was really too tired to think too much about it. It shouldn't have been that harrowing just to talk to her boyfriend. Nine months... It was only going to get worse.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked from above her.

"No," Ree said with a watery smile. "I want to get out of this city for awhile. ...After I heal my team up."

"Oh." She helped the taller girl up, and Ree and her opponent traded nasty glares. By all rights, she should've won... Harper was still technically _conscious_, she was just asleep on her shoulder. But she really didn't want to get into an argument over money. She knew it'd only end in screaming and tears. Harry peered up at her. "...Are you _sure_ you're okay? O-Or not?"

"I just want a break of my pokémon misbehaving and people calling me." She shut off her phone and returned Harper. "Wanna come with? Heal up our teams and go see the sights around the city."

"Sure," Harry said, though with obvious surprise. She soon broke into a wide smile and pranced after Ree. The pokémon center was decidedly less crowded than it had been that morning, due to the people still filtering out and getting on with their lives once more. Ree made _sure_ that she got her own pokémon back after the nurse gave them back, however. She wasn't going to let a mistake like that happen again. It may not end so happily if there were a repeat.

"Let's stop for something to eat, then head out of town. May as well not get hungry while we're kicking ass and taking names," Ree suggested idly. She promised herself she didn't eat when she was upset, and that this was just a coincidence. And just because she was getting a blue slushie didn't mean that she couldn't be responsible about it.

As they were walking away, Harry eyed the offending drink and asked, "Aren't you allergic to blue food dye?"

"Yeah." Ree gave it a long pull. "So?"

"Why are you drinking it?" the shorter girl asked, clearly appalled.

"No one's here to stop me," she snapped in reply and almost out of spite, took another long drink from it. It was sweet and a little sour and oh so delicious.

"Oh." A moment later, Harry repeated, "Oh!" She reached over and took the blue one from Ree, swapping it with her orange one. She almost managed a glare, too. "I-In that case, Ree Majors, I'm not going to let you get sick again. You like orange, right?"

"Yeah..." Ree replied dumbly, looking down at the new drink. She hadn't been out two weeks yet and she already had a new police force. She wasn't sure what to make of it.

"If we're going to hang out, I'd rather you not throw up again. And that can't be healthy for you! Definitely not for your throat, or for your teeth, and I think it hurts your stomach lining, too," Harry said.

"Right." Ree couldn't help but watch her as she trailed off, thinking about the damage Ree was undoubtedly doing to herself, and then looked back at the orange slushie. No doubt she could force the blue one back into its rightful owner's hands, but she was right in the fact that she _really_ shouldn't be eating it in the first place. It was never fun to throw up, anyway.

Ree mused as they meandered out the city limits, back into trees and paths and greenery. It was a pretty pleasant day out, not too warm, and there was a steady stream of trainers headed out of the city. A couple coming in, but less. She didn't know what to do—about anything. Nine months seemed like an awfully long time. Scott would find out she was a trainer again soon, but then what? He was a trainer, too. If he got too lonely, he'd simply track her down, and then in a couple months, her swollen belly would give it all away. Come to think of it, Maya was likely to try to find her, too. They both knew training better, and had strong enough teams not to get bothered and bogged down by wild pokémon battles like she was.

And even if they didn't come for her, and no one else did, and somehow everyone she knew somehow _didn't_ find out, then what? She'd be alone, relatively speaking, for nine months. And then she'd have a baby to deal with. Adoption still seemed like it'd be her go-to route, but she had no idea whatsoever as to how to set something like that up. She didn't even _want_ to think about the labor itself.

Why was she keeping this a secret anyway? Pride? Scott wouldn't... He probably wouldn't leave her for that. It was a mistake, an accident. He was better than that, right? Ree's mood plummeted once more. Teenage guys weren't paradigms of responsibility. To be fair, neither was she. She'd had a classmate back in school who had this same exact situation happen to her, and lost her boyfriend over it. Ree wasn't sure what she'd do without Scott.

"What're you thinking about? You look really serious," Harry broke in with concern in her voice.

Ree quickly made a grand gesture of yawning and stretching and drinking the orange thing. "Oh... Nothing... You know, just a little tired."

"Are you still upset?"

"Um... Maybe a little."

"Can I... I-I mean, is it okay for me to ask about it? You can talk to me, if you'd like. I can keep secrets," Harry offered meekly. Ree must've made some sort of face, because she quickly continued, "I know we haven't known each other all that long! And I know we didn't meet under the best of circumstances, but trainers tend to make friends really quickly, and I, um... Well, friends listen to one another. I've been told I'm a really good listener..."

"Friends?" Ree echoed. "You think we're friends?"

Harry's face matched her hair instantly. "Oh my gosh—if you don't want—if this seems really straightforward—you must think I'm crazy—" she babbled.

Ree took her by the shoulders and shook her head. "No, it's okay. I was just—surprised, okay? I'm going through this shitty crisis right now, and I've been real mopey and thinking I'd be alone through it all. I haven't given any thought to making friends. That's all—I don't mean to be an asshole."

"You're not..." Harry squeaked, still blushing madly.

Ree paused to think about it. Harry was nice. She was level-headed, if a little quiet at times, and had more experience being a trainer. She'd be valuable as an ally. They already sort of knew each other, and so far, got along. Then again, she'd never made friends like this, the "trainer way" or whatever. It had always been gradual and not something that required thinking like this. Maybe she was over-thinking it now.

"...Trainer friends. They're the ones who travel around together, right?" she asked sharply.

Harry nodded. "Not always, but usually... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply anything."

"No, no, it's not that." Yes, Ree was definitely over-thinking this. Friends were friends. It meant she didn't have to be alone. It wasn't as if Harry was going to become her new best friend or anything, but it couldn't hurt anything to spend some time with the more experienced trainer. Far too seriously, Ree told her, "Yes, friends. We can be that."

"It's not as formal as you're making it out to be..." she replied with half a smile. She gently detached Ree.

"I know. It's just been a shitty day. I don't deal well with stress—so I'm gonna go kick people in the balls."

"Um, you can't kick girls in the—the—"

"Boobs, balls, they're both round," Ree sighed. It was as if she didn't get the point of random acts of violence _at all_!

"...Or you could calm down a little. You don't want to get in trouble, um, with the police or anything... Why don't we just camp?" Harry suggested and gestured to a small clearing just off the main path.

"It's the middle of the day."

"No, camping—It's a trainer term. A lot of people do it, and it can be very profitable if you're not in a hurry to get anywhere. You just stay in one spot or area, and challenge whoever walks by, and wild pokémon in the area. Surely you've met others who do this?"

That was true—there were plenty of random people just standing idly by the path. She hadn't expected a video game term applied to real life, however. It only added fuel to the fire after the realization; Ree rolled up her sleeves, donned a manic grin, and released her trio. "Alright! We are gonna camp the _shit_ out of this spot, guys. Clear the area of wild pokémon, and I'll call you back when any poor saps wander across my field of vision. Or I'll throw rocks at them. I don't know yet."

"Let's just sit here and _not_ throw rocks," Harry said delicately, sitting down on one of the larger rocks lining the path. She suddenly reminded Ree of Whippy and Lala's strange charades from the day before. They were both acting normally enough now... "So, Ree," the redhead said brightly, "While we wait for your next... victim... Why don't we chat?"

"Chat? Gossip? Like last night?" Ree plopped down on the grass beside her, pulling out little bits between her fingers. Harper floated down to nestle in beside her while her other two were long gone. "Harper, go train. Shoo!" With a sad tweet, she fluttered off. "You already know the basics about me. And I know a bit about you. I just—I think I'm being awkward about this trainer socializing thing." What else was she supposed to share? Hi, my name is Ree Majors, and I'm knocked up.

"Well... You just started training. How do you like it so far?" she asked and shrugged off her backpack. She set it between her feet, opened it, and dug around in it. It wasn't long before she reemerged with a pair of long needles and a tangle of yarn. The novelty of a knitting trainer still fascinated Ree.

"It's fine. Say, why do you like knitting so much?"

"Grammy taught me how and taught me all her tricks. Well... maybe just most of them. It's a nice pastime and reminds me of her." The needles clicked and flashed, making weird little loops that somehow turned into a cohesive... something. She wasn't sure what she was working on. Ree had tried to pick up sewing once, and that had been complicated enough.

"What're you making?"

"I think a hat." Harry raised her eyes to meet Ree's. "Unless you want something?"

"Nah, just curious. So... Your grammy?"

"Yes. She and I were very close."

"Maya and I were both named after our grandmothers," Ree offered. "I was named after dad's mother. Maya ended up with the cool name."

"Maya and Ree are both pretty cool. I'm Harriette, by the way—Harry is a nickname. And you've met my team a couple times now... None of them have nicknames." As if she reminded herself, she set her project in her lap and dug around once more in her backpack. She released her pokémon as well. The blitzle gave a nervous whinny at Ree's presence and laid down behind his trainer, still eying her distrustfully. Her sewaddle scooted off with a sniff. "Hattie, don't stray too far, and try not to get into too much trouble. If you do—find one of Ree's pokémon, okay?"

"She'll remember them?" Ree asked, a little surprised. She doubted her team was observant enough to remember anything, least of all a strange pokémon they met a sparse few times before. Well, maybe Harper, but she really doubted Whippy or Lala could manage to recognize the sewaddle except by sheer luck. They usually couldn't even find their camp again without Ree calling for them.

"I think so. Your snivy should be the only one around here, anyway, if she finds him... Shady, don't you want to go play with Hattie?" Harry asked sweetly, nudging her litwick in the direction of the trees. The little candle wobbled after the bug. "Grammy had a chandelure. Shady is actually her great-granddaughter."

"Oh, that's neat. My pokémon are all just random things I picked up. Where's your grammy now? She sounds pretty fun."

"She, um, died a couple years ago."

"Ah—shit. I'm sorry." Ree awkwardly looked away, trying to find something to change the subject with. They already talked about knitting and pokémon and grandmothers and names. There wasn't a lot else on her mind that she felt like discussing.

Harry simply smiled, though. "It's okay. I have lots of memories of her, and Shady, and knitting. With training, you have to leave your family behind, too—I'm sure you'll get homesick soon enough. You'll have memories like that."

"I ran away from home," Ree said cheerily. "So I'm glad to be avoiding them, at least for now." She didn't share how much she already missed it; the fact of the matter was that she couldn't return.

"Why?" Harry asked, eyes large.

Ree faltered and failed. It was an obvious question, but somehow, she hadn't been expecting it. She wasn't sure what to say, either. A lie was obviously necessary, but she couldn't think of a believable, convenient one off the top of her head. In hindsight, she probably should've had something like that at the ready. "Uhh..." Most kids who ran away to become trainers were ten. She was obviously not super excited or naïve about the world like they were, either. "I—"

"You two there!" a man on the path suddenly called, making them both jump.

"O-Oh! A trainer to beat into the ground—if you'll excuse me, Harry—" Ree said with many an awkward chuckle, hurriedly standing up to meet him.

Well, she was excited for the distraction until he pulled out a knife and demanded, "All of your money, and your pokémon. Now."

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Those pesky high crime rates just won't leave her alone, will they? Ree gets her first taste of one of the dangers of training, as well as more awkwardness with trainer socializing. Will these obstacles change her or only make her stronger? Harry decides she's going to stick around to find out, at any rate. Ree decides she's not going to stand passively by; meet Sophia.


	7. Of Learning

"Bitch!" Ree snarled, scrambling back up to her feet. The other girl sneered and backed up innocently. The referee didn't do anything, though the move had sent her to the floor. "Hey! Are you blind? She just body-checked me!"

"She did not." It wasn't the first time Ree had accused the other players of doing things, though she was usually justified. Games with her tended to get violent.

She ran back into the game with a scowl. Carly had the ball and was keeping it rather effectively, headed towards the basket. Ree scouted out the bitch who had shoved her. There—just on her side of the half court line. There was a scuffle as one of their opponents tried to catch it as she passed it, but another one of her teammates managed to save it. Just as she tossed it effortlessly into the basket, Ree locked onto her target and lowered her shoulder.

The buzzer sounded and Ree flat-out tackled the girl like a football player. They went skidding across the floor. "_Majors_! Off the court! _Now_!" her coach shrieked. Ree could only smirk. Games tended to get violent around her, but the other one had totally started it.

Maya came and sat down with her on the bench with a heavy sigh. "Did you _really_ have to tackle her?" she asked, flatly.

Instead of trying to excuse her behavior, Ree only shot back, "This is what happens when you make me study instead of letting me play _Call of Duty_ with Scott."

-.-.-

**Chapter Seven**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Learning

-.-.-

Ree looked down at the knife in his hand. It was like her cooking knife—a couple inches long, and undoubtedly very sharp. Hers was stashed in her backpack, several feet behind her. So much for using it as self-defense. _Stupid_, she scolded herself, eyes still on the blade.

Giving him their money and pokémon was out of the question. She had not run away from home and become a trainer just to get stopped now, after all. But she couldn't see an easy way out of this without getting shanked for it.

If only there was some way to call her pokémon back. If only she hadn't told Harper to leave... Ree took a cautious step backward, glancing at Harry, but the man followed her with two steps forward. "Money. Pokeballs. _Now_," he repeated harshly, brandishing the knife in her face. "You, redhead—return your blitzle and hand it over."

Ree looked back and only then remembered that Jackster was still with them. He was cowering behind his trainer, trembling and trying to hide his snout in his scarf. So much for brave defender.

"I..." Harry squeaked, backing up until she could tangle her fingers in Jackster's mane. She gave Ree a terrified glance.

"I'm not gonna repeat myself again," he growled. Suddenly, he lashed out and caught Ree around the waist with his free hand, pulling her up against his chest and placing the knife against her collarbone. She hardly realized what had happened until he was talking in her ear. "I'm losing patience. Don't stand there slack-jawed—return it, _now_. Or else." Harry nodded and returned Jackster. Ree wasn't afraid of the situation, only mildly surprised. She was more concerned at how it'd be more difficult now to get out of this.

He shifted his grip on Ree, twisting her arm painfully behind her back. "Hey!" she barked, finally coming back to her senses.

"Don't struggle now!" Too late. She stomped on his foot and he tried to tighten his grasp, but their cavalry arrived with a hiss. Ree barely had time to duck before the man gave a yelp and danced about, knife waving wildly, as he tried to get the snivy who had his teeth and claws buried in his thigh off. He wasn't winning.

"Harry, your pokémon!" Ree called and dove away from him. She nodded and released Jackster once more, though the frightened blitzle just resumed his stance behind his trainer. She knelt down beside him and murmured soothing things, but Ree didn't have time for that. "Lala! Harper! Get back here!" she screamed at the area, and was rewarded almost immediately by a gray blur pelting down at the man's face.

While he was distracted, for good measure (and to work off some of the day's stresses), Ree stomped over and delivered the hardest kick possible between his legs.

By the time Lala arrived, Jackster still hadn't come out from behind Harry. Neither of her other pokémon had arrived, either, but the man had been successfully subdued. He hadn't had any pokémon on him, which meant that it was exceedingly easy to beat him into submission once Harper stole the knife away. The whimsicott paralyzed him for good measure and led Whippy away from where he was still chewing on his leg.

"I knew it'd work out okay," Ree boasted, puffing out her chest. "I wasn't even scared."

"Ree!" She turned to Harry, eyebrow raised. "Y-You're bleeding!"

"Wha—?" She looked down, and could make out just a little smear of blood near her shirt collar. Sure enough, touching it brought about stinging and red on her fingers. "...Huh. Doesn't hurt. Sure it's not his?"

"You have a cut," Harry said and stood up, hovering over Ree. Well, as best she could considering the height difference. "Are you okay? You're not dizzy or anything, are you?"

"No, I'm fine. It's just a little thing, I bet. The bigger question is—Harry, let go, I'm _fine—_is what to do with this guy." Ree had had far worse than a little cut, and she hadn't even noticed it at the time. That was a plus, right? She could keep her brave face. She nudged the paralyzed man with her shoe, earning a small groan. A really pathetic attempt at crime, really. Sure, the knife had her pause, but he had a shorter stature and not any pokémon with him. Which meant she survived her first crime practically unscathed!

They loaded the man onto a _very_ reluctant Jackster, and after Harry finally called back her other two (to be fair, there was no way they could outrun Lala or Whippy), they headed back into the city. Ree had to carry Whippy in her arms to prevent him from mauling the man further. Lala bounded alongside Jackster, chatting with him, and occasionally encouraging little sparks of electricity. Harper was nestled on Ree's shoulder, still fluffed up. They still had all their money and all their pokémon. Piss poor attempt at robbery, really.

"...And really, it wasn't that bad. Statistics are scary, but I guess the real thing isn't nearly as bad. And I still have you!" Ree cooed, holding Whippy up at arm's length. He wiggled his tail with a smile. "I guess he made it out worse than we did, and this cut is like, a paper cut. Training isn't so scary, is it!"

"Sni!" he said and slithered back into her arms against her chest, patting down her stomach.

"Hey, stop. Not in public," she whispered, tugging him away. He whined but stayed still. She glanced nervously back at Harry, but she was concentrating on soothing her blitzle and hadn't noticed. No one needed to question why her snivy was so worried about her stomach. "Harry, you okay? You've been quiet."

"I'm just keeping Jackster calm," she replied. He gave a whinny, almost in agreement, and stumbled a bit over the end of his long scarf. She picked it up and wrapped it once more around his neck. A valid reason for staying back there, but Ree couldn't help but notice that she was avoiding her gaze.

Still, they got out just fine! A little cut was nothing, and her pokémon were fine, and still hers. So were Harry's. All their money, all their possessions, all their pokémon. It hadn't even been all that scary!

As long as she kept thinking that, she'd be fine.

"Y'know, maybe we should stick closer. Or I could carry one of those whistles around my neck, though I guess he still would've noticed that." Ree tucked Whippy under her arm once more and resumed her arrogant strut. A little blood was nothing; she was used to blood. It was her sense of security that had been shaken, as much as she was desperately trying to ignore it. It had ended happily, yes, but there had been a moment there... There hadn't been anything or anyone in between her and a knife. Shaking her head to clear it, Ree continued forcefully, "It was just a _little_ crazy there for a moment. Not bad at all. And Whippy, you made such a good white knight! Yes you did! And you too, Harper, you were a very good kamikaze knight!"

"Whim!" Lala called irritably.

"Well, you didn't arrive until after we'd taken him out," she replied, "but uh... You're a decent cavalry, I guess?"

The fluffy grass pokémon snorted, but took it gracefully. Ree smiled to herself, pleased. She was getting a _little_ better at handling them.

They were just inside the city's gates, earning many a strange look, when Harry blurted out, "I'm really sorry!"

"Huh?" Ree halted, mid-step, and looked back at her companion with confusion.

Harry fidgeted, tugging on the end of that neon purple sweater. "I'm sorry," she repeated faintly. Ree waited for some sort of continuation. "Jackster was there, and he's... He's a good pokémon, he is. I love him, but if he wasn't so scared, you wouldn't have gotten hurt..."

"Hey, none of that now." It was far too early to get sappy and apologetic and awkward. Ree had gotten attached to the idea of trainer friendship, after all. She strode back towards the little knot and pulled Harry into half a hug, half a drag. Whippy squealed at being squished and slithered up onto her shoulder. "I'll rub my blood all over you if you apologize again," she threatened. Harry squeaked in response. "It wasn't your fault, and Jackster was there, at least. Maybe his presence stopped the guy from just running up and stabbing me!"

"I—"

"I said none of that shit! We took down that guy, and Whippy and Harper did a great job at it. We're all fine, see?" Ree released her and stood back, throwing her arms wide.

"If they hadn't... I don't have a fast team like you, Ree. This could have ended badly," Harry muttered darkly. She looked up at her with a hard gaze, not quite a glare. "Th-This isn't a rare occurrence. I've been robbed before."

Ree froze up; no, no, this had been an isolated occurrence, she had filled her crime quota, she would be safe from then on, because she was fine _now_. But that damned book told her otherwise. Unova wasn't a safe region. Scott had clammed up when she'd asked him about it. And here Harry was, baldly telling her so. _No, it's fine. I have that knife—I have my pokémon—_ But the problem was that her knife was used for cooking and cutting and was in her backpack. Her pokémon strayed far, especially out on routes. This may not be an isolated incident.

"I've never been asked for my pokémon before—usually, many robbers aren't stupid enough to think they can take another person's pokémon without any fighting back. But I've never... I've never fought back like that. Even with Jackster there, we didn't do anything, and I'm sorry," Harry said firmly. She then grabbed her blitzle by the scarf and dragged him forward, man still on his back, and marched into the city.

Ree stood there numbly. She'd been fine concentrating on the fact that they had gotten out rather well. She hadn't wanted to think about the chance of repeating this, or what would have happened if her pokémon hadn't arrived when they had. She could get more pokémon in the future, but that wasn't any guarantee they'd be around when she really needed them. They wouldn't be able to train as much as they were used to if she told them to stick super close out in the wilds, and they had to train like crazy in order to get all of the badges in her time limit.

Which meant to get her sense of security back, Ree had to take matters into her own hands.

Ree started forward swiftly enough to nearly dislodge the pair on her shoulders, and seized Harry as she passed her. "Wha—?"

"Come on," she said shortly. Jackster pranced nervously at the change in direction, but Harry beckoned him after them. Lala gave Ree a distrustful look, but followed along behind, anyway. "Harry, if we're gonna travel together and be trainer friends, no more apologizing for that sort of stuff. Yes, it could've been a hell of a lot worse, and there's no guarantee that it won't be in the future. So we're not gonna whine and worry about it—we're gonna take this shit into our own fuckin' hands."

She led her party into a sports store. It wasn't very busy inside and wasn't a large store, but it had what she needed. A knife wasn't very practical. It was sharp, yes, but it was short and she didn't want to have to stab anyone in self-defense if she could help it. Her pokémon could handle the bloody aspects.

Ree proudly yanked an aluminum baseball bat off a case and held it out to Harry. "We're not gonna get robbed again, and we're gonna go turn that bastard in, and then we're gonna go out to this nice little cafe and get something that's not a slushie. No more apologizing and no more sad, okay?"

"Ree, you can't be serious," Harry said incredulously, hazel eyes on the bat in her hands. "You—You're going to get a _weapon_?"

"I already have a knife I use for skinning and cutting. If I really had to—if I had access to it at that time, I would've used that," she replied flatly. "Would you rather get robbed every so often? What if someone _does_ try to take your pokémon from you?"

"...Have you ever played baseball before?" she asked meekly.

"No, I'm a basketball girl. But I'm not going to be working on my technique here. It can act as a deterrent, and it has a longer reach than any knives, so we're covered there. Well—I am. I'll be doing this. I have no problem getting physically violent."

"Ree, this just seems really... crazy."

Ree broke out into a grin and took the bat up to the counter to pay for it. "Harry, it's like you've only just met me! This is the sort of thing I do all the time!"

The girls walked out of the store, pokémon and baseball bat in tow. Ree cradled it like a child, making a show of it for her companion. It wasn't as if she was unused to a little fighting. She distinctly remembered on incident involving breaking someone's arm with a bat, too, though that was a little on accident. And she couldn't bear to think of herself—or Harry herself, for that matter—in the position of simply handing over her money or possessions just to try to get someone to leave her alone. If Ree was going to be a trainer, then she was going to do it _her_ way.

And that involved no robbery.

"I'm gonna name her Sophia," Ree said fondly, taking a practice swing that made Harry jump back.

"You're going to _name_ it?"

"Why not? Characters in video games and books name things all the time. Pokémon get names. People get names. You're telling me you've never named a stuffed toy?"

"Well, yes, but that wasn't..."

"Her name is Sophia and she is beautiful and if need be, I'll find her even more beautiful when bloody. Don't _worry_ Harry, okay? I got this. Now let's go dump this fucktard at the police station."

-.-.-

The sun set on Nacrene City as the two girls and their teams settled into their meals. To Ree's amusement—and Lala's smug smirk—they had the same waitress who fawned over the whimsicott. She took the attention with dignity and pride, even after the topic of her obscenely large fluff came up. "Don't you worry, cutie! I'm sure you'll, like, be back to normal in no time! You say you got a way to fix it, right?" the server asked brightly.

"Yeah, we think just small increments of cutting will fix it over time," Harry replied with a matching smile. Just watching the two of them was making Ree feel silly. Sophia rested lightly against her thigh, and their pokémon were scattered about, digging into their own food. She'd saved herself a headache by simply ordering them the things they got last time. They liked it well enough, at least.

"Well, she's cute no matter how much fluff you have, right baby?" the girl cooed. Lala took the attention with evident amusement, but soon enough, wiggled out of her grasp to get back to her spicy meal. "And she's still, like, totally loving that spicy food. I have never seen a grass pokémon like that."

"None of my pokémon like spicy stuff. Not even Shady, and she's a fire pokémon," Harry said curiously, craning her neck to look over the table at the whimsicott.

"Well, she's definitely unique," Ree drawled. She stabbed at the unfezant on her plate while ignoring the guilt that came with having Harper just beside her. She already made the rule of not eating pidove anymore, so her evolutionary line should be fair game... And she just really, really liked them. Harper didn't seem to notice.

"I wish I had one..." the waitress sighed as she sashayed off.

"Come to think of it," Harry said around a mouthful of sandwich, "How did _you_ get Lala, Ree? She's already evolved, but you haven't mentioned helping her."

"No, I caught her like this. I figured she's older and evolved on her own some time." Ree shrugged.

"They take a stone to evolve, though. I think. They're pretty rare in the wild."

"Oh." She looked down at Lala, who had done a pretty good job of getting the sauce from her dish in the fluff around her neck. No wonder that server girl was excited about her. "Huh. Good job, Lala."

"Whimsi?"

"You're rare, I guess."

"Scott," she replied indignantly and returned to her food.

Harry chuckled. "You act as if you can understand them already."

"I can't, trust me," Ree replied. "It's a lot of guessing and teaching them to nod and shake their heads."

"You'll get the hang of it soon, I suppose. Some people adapt to being trainers more quickly than others. I've even heard that some people are born who can understand pokémon right away, no training or practice involved."

"That would've been convenient. I'd trade bushy hair for that, any day."

Ree looked over the scene as they lapsed into silence. Jackster was a lot calmer when he was eating, it seemed. She didn't know a lot about Harry's other pokémon yet, though it didn't seem like they had any dynamic problems. Then again, if they had been together for awhile, they probably would've ironed out such kinks.

But wait. Harry had been training for several years and had three badges. Even if she had taken a break, she had a team of just three, and none of them had evolved yet. "...Harry, why don't you have any evolved pokémon yet?" Harry choked on her food and Hattie, the sewaddle, looked up and gave Ree a level glare.

"S-Sorry. Well... I don't know."

"I know the sewaddle at least should've evolved—they go pretty early. How long have you had the litwick?"

"A-A couple years now, but she's still very young. Ghosts don't age very quickly," she said with an affectionate pet for Shady. "Um, well, my team _is_ strong. I-I mean, I have three badges," she said with an awkward chuckle. She took a sip of her drink and glanced back at Jackster, who was contentedly munching on a dish that involved a lot of grass, it seemed.

"...But?" Ree prompted, now curious.

"Well, Jackster was my first pokémon..." She dropped her voice into a whisper and leaned forward. "And he hasn't evolved yet. He's a good battler, but he's just so nervous... He doesn't train very quickly. Shady is still young, but Hattie... She's not going to evolve until he does. It's some sort of honor code she has."

"That's kind of awesome," she said with a grin.

"I don't know. Shady may have picked it up, too. But it would be nice if any of them would evolve, really." Harry leaned back with a sigh and absently patted Jackster's head. "But I'll wait for him. We all will. He's a good pokémon."

"You don't have to defend him from me." Amused, Ree set her chin in her hand and glanced down at the blitzle. "Pokémon are different like people are, and hey, if you can get that far with just this team, then good for you. Gives me some hope, anyway."

"Oh, right! I still haven't shown you Lenora's gym!"

"Well, I get easily distracted. It's getting dark out—how late are they open?"

"Until seven or eight, but we can stop by tomorrow, if you'd like."

"Yeah, I think I'd rather like that," Ree said, "It's been a pretty tiring day. Think the center will still be crowded?"

"Not _as_ crowded... I know June and Lana headed out this morning. We may have to find someone else to share a room with tonight, depending on how many people left today..."

"I don't suppose you know any other random girls."

"Nope. You filled my random girl quota."

"We could always ask the waitress. She's friendly enough with Lala, that's for sure," Ree joked.

"I think if she lives here, she'd already have a place to sleep," Harry replied seriously. Then a beat later, she said, "Oh. Right. Well... I'm sure we could find someone."

When the peppy server came back with their check, Ree got a surprise. The girl smiled down at them and asked, "Hey, would you like to trade?"

"Huh?" Not the most sophisticated answer.

"Your whimsicott. She's a total doll, and, well, I'd be willing to trade if you are." Ree continued staring dumbly up at her, unable to really comprehend what she was offering. "I'm not a professional trainer, but I do have a frillish. He's a great pokémon, and a decent battler."

A frillish was a water pokémon, which were always useful. No more trekking across an area for the only source of water. But Lala had been her first capture. She was impish, sure, but she was still the strongest and fastest on her team. Ree caught Harry looking between the two of them. Lala was simply continuing eating, though it was obvious she was listening.

She caught Harper and Whippy looking at her, too. A trade was a big thing. Their team would be more balanced, and they weren't in any danger of running out of water. They could take care of fire pokémon with ease. And weren't they ghosts, too? It was a practical and smart choice.

But she wasn't going to give up her Lala. If there was one thing Ree wasn't, it was practical or smart.

"Yeah... Sorry, but no. I've gotten attached to the little fluff ball."

For good measure, she reached down and scratched her whimsicott. The server smile and nodded. "I totally understand. Ah well—it was worth a shot, right? She's just too cute. I wouldn't want to give her up, either, I guess..."

-.-.-

That night, Ree slept heavily. The day had been stressful and emotionally taxing. Maya, Scott, almost getting robbed. The realization of just how deep she was in over her head hadn't been a fun one.

Harry had recruited another girl to share a room with, but they got away with just the three of them, since the center was a lot less packed. Ree, in turn, got away with sleeping with her team out. Harry was pinned to the wall in the bunk below her, Jackster taking up most of her bed. But she wasn't one to lose out on bonding via sleeping. Ree was luckier with a fairly smaller team, and Lala was also a bit smaller since they had trimmed her up before bed, too.

She had a dream she was a tiny little patrat, and had a big, golden liepard chasing after her. Then, just as it pounced, she turned into a little pidove, and flapped away. It ate the patrat that she once was, but it wasn't satisfied, and chased her again. She couldn't get away until something jumped in between it and she, valiantly defending her. Ree turned to try to look at it, but she just saw a flash of white and purple before it was overcome, in turn, by something red and black.

It ended when a serperior wrapped around her and hid her away from it all. Ree woke with a jolt, startling Whippy out his sleep. "...What time is it?" she murmured, groping under her pillow for her phone. It was a quarter after five in the morning. Definitely time for more sleep. "Sorry, Whippy... Back to sleep now..."

He wriggled up from where he was stuck in between her hip and the wall, then fell asleep again with a sleepy hiss, using her shoulder as a pillow.

It was nine thirty when Harry woke her up again. Ree groaned and flopped around for as long as she could. She felt Lala get out of bed daintily, and soon had Harper chirping in her ear. "Pii! Piiiiii!"

"Harpy, I'm sleepin'," she whimpered, flailing around for her pidove. She caught hold of her and pressed her against her chest, trying to keep her quiet. But her little feathered alarm clock wouldn't allow it. She pecked and bit at Ree's hand until she forced her way free, then resumed her incessant chirping.

"How late do you sleep in? Trainers don't get to sleep in!" Harry admonished, peeking up over the top bunk to give Ree a dour look.

"They can when they have beds," she shot back and pulled the blanket back up over her head. Unfortunately, she just trapped Harper in there with her, and her bird took it as an invitation to be louder. Finally, Ree decided she had had enough of the abuse. "Okay! Okay. I'm up." She sat up, only to hit her head on the ceiling. It was not going to be a fun day. She felt tired as it was, if only because that stupid dream woke her up, and nine thirty wasn't her favorite time to wake up, either...

"Training day! I'll show you Lenora's gym, and we can get breakfast, and then we can train!" Harry said excitedly. She flit from her bunk to the bathroom and back again. It seemed as if their other roommate had already left, either for the day or for breakfast. Good. Her trubbish had stunk.

Ree half-climbed, half-fell out of bed. Whippy slithered out with her, just as unenthusiastic with the morning. She caught him before he fell on his head. Harper nestled herself into Ree's severe bedhead with a contented, prim tweet. "Training day, huh?" she asked as she stumbled into the bathroom, searching out her hairbrush.

"Yeah! You could even challenge a couple of gym trainers if you wanted, to get a sense of what you'll be up against. She's pretty tough herself—Lenora, I mean—but she uses normal pokémon, at least. You have some trouble with fire, so at least there's none of that, right?" Harry asked brightly, already running a comb through her wavy hair. Ree only nodded. Her eyes felt heavy. "And we can head back out and camp—properly, this time, it's not as if muggers are around all the time. I'd love to see your team really battle. And Lala is so creative with the stun spore. They could be an inspiration to my team! Who knows, maybe we could have a couple battles ourselves... What do you say, guys?" She leaned out the bathroom, but Jackster's response involved a scared whinny that made her frown.

They traipsed down to the mess hall once Ree had miraculously gotten dressed with her eyes closed (intent on pretending she was still sleeping). There were even fewer trainers about now, so it seemed as if the pokémon center was finally getting back to a stable population. Which was good, since it meant that it was more food for them. She was still mildly appalled at how much Whippy could tuck away.

Ree ate her pancakes in a stony silence, staring at her pokémon. Lala definitely didn't eat meat, but she did seem to rather like dairy products. Or, at least cheese. Whippy was omnivorous, gladly shifting between vegetables and various meat dishes, though he became a fast fan of bacon. She had to fight him for the pieces on her plate. He still had a sweet tooth, too, and gladly took the offering of a chocolate-chip pancake instead. The good thing was that chocolate didn't seem to negatively affect him.

Harper seemed to have the most predictable diet. She was a bird, after all, and was perfectly content with the bird seed they offered in the pokémon section. She did try little pecks of everything Ree offered her, so either she was not picky, or she was astoundingly polite. Either way, she appeared to like the attention.

"Do you know what your pokémon eat?" Ree asked idly, watching Whippy inhale his second chocolate-chip pancake. For fuck's sake, they were almost as big as his head. How much could his little stomach expand?

"Of course," Harry replied, clearly confused by the question.

"I mean, aside from pokémon food..." She looked over at Harry's team. Hattie was munching on a variety of leafy greens and ignoring the orange slice her trainer had given her. Shady was simply burning up a piece of celery, then only ate it once it was completely charred, with a bland smile. Jackster was also content with vegetables, though he gladly took the apple Harry offered. "Don't any of them eat meat?"

"Hattie can, on occasion, and I think Shady could if she wanted to, but no. Jackster doesn't, and Hattie prefers things like lettuce and cabbage and leaves, anyway. Shady just wants to eat anything that she cooks herself," she said with a fond smile.

"That means that you don't have to hunt out on routes," Ree realized. Harry nodded. "Oh, you lucky bitch! If I could get away with not butchering dead things in the middle of a fucking forest—that's just not fair. Don't _you_ ever want something meaty?"

"I can have it in towns, but otherwise, it's easier to just get something like jerky from a store and carry it around with me for the protein. Or peanut butter—that's popular among trainers for keeping protein levels up. And vegetarian pokémon can eat it, too."

The time she gave Aubie peanut butter and had him licking the roof of his mouth for a half hour sprang to mind. "Well... I thought all trainers did the rugged, living off the land thing."

"I _do_. It just means we don't hunt. And remember, I haven't done anything rugged in awhile. We've mostly traveled." Harry stood up, taking her and Jackster's empty plates into her hand. "Since your plate is cleared off as well, would you like to get going?"

Ree looked down to find her plate indeed empty. And she caught her snivy disappearing over the edge of the table, half a pancake and the rest of her bacon clamped in his teeth. "Whippy! You little—!"

They cleaned up, and while she shot her snivy dangerous looks every so often, they headed out into the morning. The day hadn't yet begun to warm, but it was still nice out. Ree couldn't help but wonder how the winter was going to go. Winters for trainers were notoriously difficult.

Harry finally got to show Ree the gym, though it wasn't open yet. Something about a late start due to one of the trainers knocking over a shelf. They peered in the windows, and honestly, Ree had thought she'd been joking about the library motif. Even the museum portion of the building had books and bookshelves all over. "Is it an actual library? Can you check stuff out from it?"

"Hmm... I don't actually know. I certainly haven't tried," Harry replied. "Certain books are needed for puzzles and tricks in there, so I doubt they'd lend those out."

They took a quick tour around the city. Ree was surprised at how artsy it all was. There were a lot of studios and converted warehouses, and a lot of people seemed to set up their own small businesses however they pleased. She got a couple of natural healing supplies from an old lady before Harry dragged her off again.

Camping about half a mile from city limits seemed to be the prime spot. It ensured that they caught all of the trainers headed to the city, as well as out, but still were far enough away for there to be a plethora of wild pokémon running about. Ree kept Sophia nearby when she let her pokémon go out to have some wild battles. It took nearly an hour for Harry to let Hattie and Shady leave, though she asked that they stay together.

"They're still small... And sewaddle are known prey species," she sighed.

"Then get them to evolve!"

"I've told you—!"

"Jackster needs to go first, right?" Ree stood up and tucked the bat under her arm. She gestured out on the path; they could just barely see a dot of an incoming trainer. "Trainer battles! We're camping here, so you can get some experience, too! And hey, if Jackster could get some confidence, that'd be pretty rad, too."

"He's just shy," Harry said defensively. "...No, I think we'll stick to wild battles for now. We haven't had a lot of experience lately with other trainers, so I'd rather get him used to battling frequently again. Besides, we already have Lenora's badge. You're the one who needs the training right now."

It was Ree's turn to sigh. "Fine, whatever. I'll take all the trainer battles, then. And you can't complain when one of my pokémon evolve before Jackster does."

"You just got them, Ree."

"Lala already evolved!"

"You didn't do that..."

And so the next few days passed.

Ree had severely overestimated Whippy's loyalty and taking orders; he was fine doing things on his own again, now that he wasn't facing down a fire pokémon. She could get him to do that neat trick where he used his vines to jump, though, so at least he could dodge a lot better now. Lala was still as impetuous as ever, too, picking fights wherever and whenever she could.

She had also taken to pulling pranks on Harry, until Ree caught wise. She had her whimsicott channel her nature outward, and to great success: she started using mischievousness as a weapon against wild pokémon. She could even set basic snare-like traps. Lala did get stuck in a thorny bush at one point and they had to cut her fluff again just to get it all out, but the growing had already slowed. Hopefully that didn't just start it up again.

Harper seemed like a very cool customer. She followed most orders, and was perfectly fine in being civil when the situation called for it, unlike the other two. She was just as willing to work hard, but just acted more prim while doing so. Ree caught her twice using Hattie as a weight to lift. There were plenty of grass pokémon and bugs around, thankfully, that she easily beat. She caught up with the other two in what felt like no time at all. Lala was still the powerhouse, but at least Harper could take on trained opponents one on one and come out on top almost all of the time.

To Ree's delight, she did get to see a couple battles with Harry's team. All with wild pokémon, and most of those pokémon were ones that Lala or Whippy had lured back. Hattie, despite her size and typing, seemed to be a very capable battler. Shady wasn't bad, but it was obvious that she was the youngest and least experienced of the team. She didn't seem to use much strategy outside of burning things.

Jackster, on the other hand... He was a mess. He got scared at every little thing, and half the time fled. The few times Harry could get him to stay, he didn't want to do more than cry and dance around the opponent. He was larger and fairly quick on his hooves, and the only electric pokémon for miles most likely, but he didn't seem to want to press any of his advantages.

The one time Ree _actually_ saw what he was capable of, it wasn't a battle. A wild pidove had bullied Harper and was trying to make a nest out of Harry's hair. It wasn't so much a menace as it was annoying. Ree had taken a couple swings at it with Sophia, even.

But as Harry sat down with a defeated sigh, Jackster came up and bit the pidove, dragging it out of her hair. He tossed it into the air and gave it a precision shock, just enough to knock it out, and as it fell, kicked it back into the bushes before it hit the ground. It was all very skillful and demonstrated that he _could_ take care of wild pokémon, he was just afraid of them. For whatever reason.

Ree naturally spent the rest of the day trying to coax him to do it again, but it only worried him into minor hysterical fit. She left him alone after that.

Almost a week had passed since she had first came to Nacrene. Her pokémon were stronger and their teamwork was more polished, but she was still nervous about Lenora's gym. She'd heard nothing except the fact that she was tough and smart. She didn't like opponents like that. Harry refused to go out training with her for another day, and insisted she at least tried to take on Lenora. If all else, she could get some practice in with the trainers in the gym.

That was what eventually won her over. After making sure her pokémon were full and healthy and as confident as possible, Ree marched them across the town to the gym.

Inside, the front half was lined with shelves of books and various glass cases. There were a lot of fossils in there, more than she had initially expected. She almost got distracted looking at all of them until Harry shooed her up a staircase. The second half of the building was the gym, set up like a library, but Ree hadn't been prepared for the size of it all. There were three floors of books, with an open area in the middle where she assumed battles would take place. She didn't see the gym leader, though.

"Oh, are you here for a challenge?" She jumped and tried to tug Sophia out of the belt loop she'd been carrying the bat in. It didn't work very well. She made a mental note not to do that anymore. The receptionist behind the desk gave her a bright smile, completely ignoring the bat. "Have you challenged Lenora before?"

"No, I haven't," Ree replied warily, trying to pretend like she hadn't just fumbled with the weapon.

"Well, would you like me to explain a couple of the rules? This isn't like other gyms; we do things a little differently here, as evidenced by all of the shelves and books." She nodded, and the receptionist smiled again. He had a nice smile. "Are you both going to be challenging today?"

"O-Oh, no," Harry squeaked, hiding herself behind Ree, and shook her head. "I'm just support for today."

"That's nice of you, but I am afraid I'll have to ask you not to help the challenger with the puzzles in the gym." The redhead nodded in agreement. "The puzzles are simple though! Don't worry. All you have to do is find books!" he chirped. Ree stared at him. "In certain books throughout the library portion of this building, there are notes with hints inside. Inside the front cover, so you'll have to open it to check, but not hard to find if you have the right book. There is some... intellect required, but if you do get stuck, please! Feel free to ask anyone in here. Some aides may challenge you to a battle for the information, and some won't."

"Okay," she replied, glancing all around the massive library. This... was probably going to take awhile. Much longer than she had anticipated. Her pokémon wouldn't even be able to help; they couldn't read. And if Harry couldn't either...

"The first hint—you'll want to head to the classic literature section," he suggested with a motion up towards the second floor. "The term 'ham', for a bad actor, came from a famous play. Look up a collection of the author's greatest works—that play included!—and you'll find the next part."

Ree gaped at him. _Ham_? She only knew it as a type of food, not as slang. After several moments of simply staring blankly at the receptionist, Harry giggled nervously and started pushing her deeper into the forest of books. Ham. Ham. _Ham_. What the hell did ham have to do with actors or plays?

They made it to the second floor and found the classic literature section easily enough. Ree was still lost, though. She walked up and down the aisles, lost in thought, trying to figure out where the term could have come from. Classic literature was full of older things, well—the classics. And it was a play. She hadn't ever read many plays, not even in school. Her grade school had put on a play of _The Ghostchasers_, but that had been a ripoff of _The Ghostbusters_ and was a musical and she was pretty sure it had never been considered a classic. That was, unfortunately, the closest she had gotten to knowing much about plays.

Ree gave Harry a very sad, pitiful look. "Oh, no," she replied with a shake of her head. "Don't look at me like that, Ree. Even if I _could_ help, in good conscience, I couldn't. They swap out the questions every now and then. I didn't have this batch."

"But... _ham_."

"The closest I ever got to ham is _Hamlet_. I don't like ham. I-I don't like most pork," Harry mumbled sourly, crossing her arms. She backed away from Ree and made it clear that she wasn't going to be helping her. Moral support was one thing, but cheating was another.

Ree, on the other hand, was not above such tactics. She pulled out her phone as she inched towards Shakespeare—okay, it _was_ a lead, and it _did_ start with ham—and sent out a mass text concerning the question. She wasn't sure Harry noticed. Glancing furtively around as she shut her phone, Ree poured over the Shakespeare section. It was a lead.

Not a minute later, her phone buzzed. Grinning gleefully at her own genius, she flipped it back open with a quick glance at her companion. And then her mood crashed and burned.

"_First text in a week and you ask me about ham? what are you doing?_" Courtesy of Scott. She'd just sent it to her 'friends' group, and had completely forgotten that he had been in it. At least Maya hadn't been, but Maya was definitely the lesser of the evils.

A moment later, she got another from him. "_it came frm hamlet. too many bad actors trying out for the part_."

Guilt pooling in her stomach, Ree started going through the Shakespeare. Three books in, ignoring further text replies, she found one with a sticky note on the inside cover. "Hey! I think I got it!" Harry came over and after failing spectacularly to try to read it over her shoulder, settled for wedging her head in between her head and the book.

"For this next hint, expand your horizons. What is the highest mountain in our solar system?" Harry read aloud.

"Well, that's easy. Mount Coronet, but we have to find a book with that in it." Ree snapped the book shut and shoved it back onto the shelf. With annoyance, she went through and deleted the other texts—most of them were wrong or wondering what she was doing, anyway. Scott had known, though...

"They mentioned the solar system. I think it might be... I don't know, maybe out there? It just seems too easy."

Ree turned on her heel mid-aisle and headed down to the right. Astronomy. She didn't know much about space except that Pluto got kicked out of planet status awhile ago, but it was a lead. She had no delusions about her intellect, and if Harry thought it was a trick question, then she'd follow her. ...But Scott was smart, too. And she had texted him without breaking down! And he'd helped her! Maybe she was blowing this all out of proportion. It wasn't like she was running away from a marriage or anything. This was just an accident, and all she was doing was being a trainer. There wasn't anything illegal.

"_highest mountain in the solar system?_" she texted him. Maybe it was an olive branch.

They were just entering into the astronomy section when he replied, "_mt olympus._"

"No it's not," Ree scoffed sourly. So much for trusting him.

And, as if reading her mind, she got a follow-up. "_It's on jupiter. not the hercules one._"

"...Are you texting someone?" Harry asked, catching on at last. Ree flushed and hid it by turning away, probably giving herself away with that nervous chuckle. "Ree, who are you texting?"

"Just—just a friend."

"Are you _asking_ for help? Are you cheating?" she hissed. Ree hurried down the shelves, looking for something about Jupiter. A large orange book jumped out at her, just sticking a little out, apart from the rest. "Ree, what are you doing?"

"I'm just texting Scott!" she burst out, and that was enough to end it. She wasn't going to be winning any Jeopardy anytime soon; she needed help in this.

"...Oh." Oh, and there's the guilt. Still not for cheating, but for making Harry sound like that.

Ree tried to help the feeling go away. After the gym. "...Here." The sticky note was again inside the front cover. "See? You were right. Trick question—it was some place on Jupiter."

"Frustrated yet? What does _ressentiment_ mean?" Harry read aloud, a little quieter than before. Ree frowned. That word sounded oddly familiar, but it wasn't exactly one people threw around every day. "It's not resentment... Maybe it means the same thing? But it sounds like we need a dictionary."

"Is there a dictionary section?" Ree asked as she covertly opened her phone back up. They traipsed back out into the main aisle. "_ressentiment? whats that mean?_"

"_are you joking_" came the almost immediate reply.

"_what?_"

"_are you playing persona 4. if thats why you've been avoiding me, I can understand._"

Ree stared at her phone. A video game? She hadn't played it, actually, but she knew he had. But what did that have to do with Lenora's gym? That game was like a dungeon crawler—oh, but there was a dating sim in it. She had to be there when he threw a fit trying to decide which girl to pursue. But she still didn't see the connection.

"_what?_" she repeated via text.

"_those are all questions in the game to level up your knowledge._"

Ree snapped her phone shut and glared up in the direction of the receptionist's desk. How _dare_ he use video game knowledge against her! It added insult to injury that she hadn't played it. She could play knowledge games, but to turn a video game's knowledge games against her... It was _on_.

"Ree? Where are we going? I think the reference section is back that way—" Harry could only follow along in her wake as Ree stomped back down the stairs, back to the desk. The receptionist gave her that nice smile again, unknowing of the can of sewaddle he'd just opened.

"So, some interesting questions you have here," she spat.

"We change them out every so often, but yes, I think this batch is a winner," he replied brightly.

"Who did you date?"

"...Excuse me?"

"The girl with the pigtails? Long black hair? The little blue bear?" Poor Harry, so obviously lost. Ree herself had little idea what she was talking about, only going off of vague, yellow-themed clips she'd seen Scott play through. But she wasn't going to confess that he was where she was getting her answers from, either.

From the loss of color and smile, she knew she'd said enough to strike a nerve. And she suddenly wondered if Lenora knew. "I... You're a gamer, I see," he said uncomfortably.

"And _you're_ the one who came up with the questions, I see," Ree said with a predatory smile. She had him now. If he wasn't supposed to be using others' questions, or existing ones, or whatever... "Using questions from somewhere else, naughty, naughty. So how about you and I have a little talk about what ressentiment means."

"Look, we rotate through the staff here for questions. Lenora is a busy woman and can't come up with them all, but if we kept the same questions for too long, there'd be too much cheating. They're just here to make kids look through _books_. Lord knows it doesn't happen nearly often enough these days as it is," he said, lowering his voice and leaning forward. "If you already know the answers, I apologize. Please don't share them with anyone else."

"Does Lenora know about this?"

His expression gave everything away.

"Okay, mister gamer, how about we do this. You let me through to Lenora now so I don't have to fuck around this massive library any longer, and I don't tell anyone that you're a fan of a JRPG." After a brief scowling session—he even had a nice scowl, Ree noted with her own, less attractive frown—he nodded.

"You go up the stairs, straight ahead there. The password is 'to hang'." Well, that was a little macabre. Ree grinned, satisfied, and turned to make her way up to the gym leader. No gym battles, no running around looking through dictionaries.

"Oh, and just so you know... Kids these days still read. It's just that trainers aren't crazy enough to lug books around with them. Not like I am." she tossed over her shoulder as she left.

-.-.-

Scott sighed and looked at his phone messages. That was too easy. Ree hadn't texted him back, and the order was all wrong... He knew she wasn't playing _Persona 4_. If his hunch was correct, she wasn't caught up playing _any_ video game. Or shopping.

He knew what he had to do, of course. He just didn't want to do it. To buy time, he went over to her house. _Just_ to be sure.

He'd known Maya had been back for awhile. Ree hadn't told him, and Maya was similarly avoiding him, but it was hard to miss the Unovan representative to Sinnoh coming back after all that terrible publicity. The guilty blush that spread over her cheeks when she opened the door and saw who it was only reinforced his suspicions.

"...Maya, Ree's left to become a trainer, hasn't she?" he asked wearily.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Well, for better or for worse, Ree has just managed to get in to see Lenora. Does this count as using a cheat code? And for undoubtedly the worse, the purrloin is out of the bag with Scott! But Ree doesn't know that yet, now does she? Gym battle up next, and we see what Scottie's got planned for his girl next chapter!


	8. Of Raising Hell

"It's my turn to be on top," Ree said seriously. Scott glared up at her, arms around her shoulders, thoroughly unimpressed. She responded by leaning down, tickling his face with his hair. He batted it away and resumed his glaring.

"No, my turn."

"Mine."

"You did it the last two times."

"And you did it before that!"

"Ree, you don't get to boss me around all the time," Scott told her with a frown. "I'm all for sex with you, but hell, _I_ get to be the man in this relationship once in awhile, too."

"_What_ did you just say?"

The situation rapidly descended into immature bickering after that. Soon, they ended up on opposite ends of the bed, half-clothed and arms crossed. "...There's only one way to settle this." Neither of them wanted to give up their position—literally—but Scott offered the fair way of settling it. Ree nodded.

Two out of three Super Smash Bros. matches turned into three out of five, four out of seven, and so on until several hours had passed. Scott was the first to realize their mistake. It was sad that video games seemed to trump sexy times, but it wasn't often they got the house to themselves, so the opportunity couldn't afford to be wasted.

"Ree, stop! Stop. New match. We have to settle this, now. No items, no healing, no assists. Fox only. Final Destination."

"It's on."

They spent the rest of the night playing video games instead. But they were both okay with that; they had fun either way.

-.-.-

**Chapter Eight**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Raising Hell

-.-.-

"Come _on_, Vince! We have to—get—_going—_!" Scott growled, fighting with his gigalith. The stubborn pokémon refused to move, and of course, rock types usually won out against human types. Finally, he sagged against his starter with a pained sigh. "Don't you want to go out and explore the world again? You were so excited when you were little!"

"Lith," Vince replied, snout in the air.

"Rocio!" Scott called. His scolipede bustled out of the house, laden with packs and her circlet. He groaned. "Rocio, do you _really_ wanna take that with you? We're going out traveling again, and if you lose it, we might not be able to find it again."

She gave him an acidic look that clearly told him she was keeping her trophy. He didn't want to argue with her. He just wanted to get back on the road and track her down and demand, not over phone (because she wasn't answer it, damn it), but in _person_, why she had run off. Ree did a lot of things without reason, but becoming a trainer? He knew she'd done it before in the past, but not since they'd started dating. There had to have been a reason.

"Vince, we'll do this the easy way or the hard way," Scott threatened, butting heads with his gigalith. A snort was his reply. "I'm never going to buy you any more toys ever again."

"...Lith!" Vince whined, ducking his head low and shuffling guiltily. Scott leaned back and puffed out his chest. Trainer, triumphant. "Giga!" He leapt at Scott and licked him, sending him effortlessly to the ground, and Rocio had to delicately pry him out from under him.

"Okay, let's see," Scott said, trying to recover his dignity. He shook his hair out and retied his ponytail, thinking. "If she's asking me questions, she's probably in Lenora's gym. Nacrene City, so at least she's only a city away... But we have to go through Pinwheel. That might take awhile."

"Krook," Nigel pointed out and gestured to the darumaka sitting beside him.

"Yeah, I guess we can train up Barbeque." He hadn't thought, when he picked the new pokémon out, that he would become a trainer so soon afterward. Maybe one day, but not soon, and not to track down Ree. The rest of his team was capable and skilled, so he wasn't worried, but they hadn't been out and about properly for years. Rustiness may be an issue. "Where's Yorick?"

"Laaaa," came the yawned reply. His stoutland slunk out of the shade of the bushes near the house, stretching languidly. Somehow, Scott wasn't surprised. Come to think of it, Yorick hadn't had much training out in the 'wilderness', either. This... could be fun.

Vince came up and tried to lick him again, but Scott kept his enthusiasm at bay with a barked, "Rocio! Checklist!"

She obediently nudged open the packs and started pulling things out. He'd been out before; he knew what he needed and what would be excess weight. Practical, durable clothes, check. Charger for phone (and phone), check. His old pokédex, check. All of the non-perishables in the house, check. Water, check. Camping cooking set, check. Sleeping bag, check. Bare necessities, but he could pick some supplies up in Castelia, though it was out of his way...

"No, we're headed straight through. It should only take us... Two, three days at most if we run it. It's not as if the wild pokémon will be too much of a hassle, but it's pretty maze-like in there..." With a shudder, he remembered his first—and incidentally, last—foray into the forest. It hadn't been pretty. "Rocio, you're a native there, so don't get us too lost, okay?" She saluted with an antenna, knocking her circlet off center, and waddled off. "Wait, we're not leaving just yet!"

"Lith?"

"I have to write a note for mom, telling her I'm taking Yorick."

"Scol."

"I _know_ he's mine. Just hold on a sec. Then we'll go, you impatient lot. Nigel, watch Barbeque. Let's not burn the forest down."

-.-.-

"Lenooooora!" Ree called, all too pleased with herself. In ahead of schedule! No gym trainer battles as distractions! She'd spent the week training, so she was confident in her team, and she outnumbered the gym leader, anyway.

"Ree, not so loud!" Harry squeaked. "This is still a library!"

"I'm here for a battle, not a book check-out. Lenora! A challenger appeared!" Ree called again.

"I heard you the first time!" came an irate shout off to their left. The pair of girls skittered further into the room where they'd been told the gym leader was waiting, and saw the woman coming down off of a ladder, books in her arms. She had horn-rimmed glasses perched on her nose and bushier hair than even Ree's. She could only stare for a couple moments. "I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting anyone so soon. You must be pretty knowledgeable, huh?"

"Something like that," Ree said, blatantly ignoring the pointed look from Harry. It had been blackmail, not cheating! There was totally a difference.

"Done your research, girl? It's been busy here lately, and I'd rather not waste both our time with some blind, rushed job. No gym battle is complete without research beforehand!" Lenora declared, taking off her glasses and stashing them in an apron pocket. She walked over to a desk and swapped out a couple of the books in her arms, and then made another pile for the rest.

"Uh, sure."

"What kind of pokémon do you have?"

"Aren't we supposed to be... battling?" Ree asked uneasily. She felt, briefly, as if she'd been tricked somehow. She was supposed to come in and earn another badge, way ahead of time, and go merrily on her way. Instead, there'd been the cute secretary and his silly questions, and now, a gym leader who seemed more interested in conversation than battling.

"I am, first and foremost, a researcher. A scientist. A lover of knowledge. That's why I became a gym leader—to see all the different types of pokémon. Even if many of them are locally found or from the lab, once in awhile, I get to see some things you just don't see in Nacrene otherwise. Why, just the other day, a boy came in with a woobat and a mienfoo—"

"Snivy, whimsicott, and pidove. Battle please?" She didn't like conversation in gyms. And all of the smart talk was making her sweat; what if, somehow, she found out that she hadn't passed the tests outside? Harry was still giving her the evil eye for that, too, so surely, it was only a matter of time before Lenora started questioning, too.

Lenora chuckled and planted her fists on her hips. "Are you _sure_ you're ready to take me on? You seem to have gone pretty pale pretty quick there."

Ohh, so it was some sort of psychological tactic. Ree drew herself up to her full height—just shy of taller than Lenora herself—and narrowed her eyes. "I'm ready."

"Let's move out to the arena, and then challenger moves first," she replied with another chuckle. Ree eyed her warily all the way back out. Trying to psych her out. Mind games. She'd heard she was a tough trainer, and she supposed intellect went with the job of running a museum-slash-library, but still.

Ree let Whippy out first. He slithered up into her arms, but she tossed him back onto the field. She spotted a couple other trainers lean on the railings above them, watching curiously, and Harry backed off a safe distance. "You can do it!" she called, supportive. It was better than nothing.

"A fairly large specimen, possibly close to evolution. In fair health, male, all senses and limbs intact," Lenora said, chin in hand.

"Can we go now?" ...Did that mean she normally got pokémon _without_ senses or limbs intact?

"Yes, I'm just preparing myself. Research is the basis to any strategy in life!" she said with a fierce grin, and called out a herdier. They were nothing new, though certainly not the easy little lillipup they'd been picking off for days. Whippy gave it a hiss, and it gave a short bark in reply.

Ree tried to do the same thing Lenora did. It worked for her, right? The herdier was... probably about average. Or maybe big? She couldn't tell what sex it was, but it moved like it wasn't blind or anything... It had four paws, at least. Okay, back to her usual strategy.

Which was watching mutely, and a little resentfully, as Whippy did whatever the hell he wanted.

She could tell it caught Lenora by surprise, as with many other trainers. Whippy leapt into action, throwing out a vine whip that caught the canine's front two legs, throwing it across the arena. It skidded onto its feet with a snarl, snapping at the retracting vines, but the first damage had been done. And, naturally, it went to both Ree and Whippy's heads.

"...I see," Lenora said with a nod. "Start off with a leer!"

Whippy, large eyes closed, strutted back and forth, waving claws and vines to the trainers who were watching from above. He completely missed the fact that he was supposed to be battling. The poor herdier's admittedly scary leer did absolutely nothing against the sheer might of the snivy's ego.

Ree looked around for a place to sit. This might take awhile. Running about like a madwoman, shouting ignored orders and making a fool of herself, it only led to tired legs.

The herdier, sensing an opening, ran at him. He vaulted gracefully over it, using his vines as leverage, still as snide and arrogant as ever. Until it snapped its jaws shut on one of his vines. There was one comical moment of his eyes snapping open, shocked, before it swung him around and into a far bookcase. Ree winced, and Lenora gave a shriek. "Not the books! No, bad boy! Keep it _inside _the arena!"

The herdier's ears drooped low, tail in between its legs, and gave an apologetic whine as it dragged Whippy back into the designated area. Lenora sighed and waved an aide over to clean up the fallen books. That... maybe could be used against her—and then Ree caught sight of the glare Harry was sending her. It was very clearly telling her _not_ to do what she was thinking.

...Maybe later.

Whippy had gotten back up to his feet, though one of his vines was still in the herdier's mouth. He tried to shake it off, and even push it off with the other, but it seemed set on not letting him get away. There was a brief tug-of-war, each side digging in heels, until Whippy suddenly launched himself at it. The herdier tried to backpedal, but there was too little distance, and the snivy was upon it, biting and scratching and hissing. As with battles before, Whippy used his flexibility and comparatively smaller stature to get into places where his foe couldn't reach. He wedged himself between the herdier's shoulder blades and gnawed on its neck as he lazily yanked on its ears.

After a bit of a rodeo show, it finally had the sense to roll over, squishing Whippy underneath it. It seemed as if he'd been waiting for that, however; he finally got his vine free and threw the herdier off of him. The canine yelped and scrabbled at the floor, trying not to skid into another bookshelf, and Whippy watched with gleaming red eyes. Uh-oh. Ree knew that look.

"Use a bite! Try to get in close!" Lenora commanded. They were both relatively close-range combat pokémon, and Ree wasn't expecting anything too fancy or surprising out of the herdier. It had size, but Whippy had his vines and speed.

And he also had no sense of shame. The herdier came at him again, and he scooped it up and hefted it into the nearest bookcase. Lenora gave another outraged cry. "Whippy, don't!" Ree said at once, as a gesture of kindness towards the gym leader. "Stay inside the arena!"

He responded by pinning the herdier between the bookcase and his vines, watching flatly as it struggled and kicked, knocking down more books. Harry hurried over to help the poor aide pick them up as best they could, but he wasn't letting the herdier up.

"Whippy, let it get back in!" Ree ground out. Lenora was giving her the evil eye, and she didn't want to get disqualified because he was misbehaving. "That's an _order_, mister!"

"Vee," he pouted, but finally relented. The herdier limped back into the designated arena and the books could finally be returned to their shelves before more damage was done. Though to be fair, maybe having pokémon battles in the middle of a library (or museum) wasn't the smartest of ideas.

"I know you don't like it, but you can beat it! You've fought herdier before and come out on top!"

"Sni..." he agreed, albeit grudgingly. The herdier lunged at him, jaws open, but he darted out of the way. One of his vines had been bitten pretty badly, oozing a dark greenish-brown liquid, and the herdier had wised up to how to keep him away. Of course, he could stay away himself just as easily, so it was looking to be a long battle again.

"After the next attack, use a retaliate!" Lenora said suddenly with a wide grin.

Interesting that she said _after_ the next attack, and it was almost as if the herdier _allowed_ Whippy to get in close as he chomped down on its foreleg again, this time drawing blood even through the thick fur. Trainer and starter both realized the mistake as soon as the herdier, well, _retaliated_. Whippy was sent soaring across the arena (into another bookcase), holding his chest as he staggered back to his feet.

"Whippy! Are you okay?" Ree hovered behind him, noting the injury. It wasn't an open wound, but she could tell by the way he stood, curled inward, that it had to be painful. Just the force of the attack had been phenomenal. That wasn't something to be underestimated again.

"Vee-vee, snivy," he grunted, wincing as he removed a paw from his stomach. She didn't know what that meant, but he turned and glared at her. "Snivy!" He made a shooing motion, which was the real indicator that he wanted her to back up.

Nonplussed, she took a couple steps back.

And the surprise was hers when he unleashed a storm of leaves and gusts of wind, spinning as he did. Hair whipping around and papers (and even smaller paperback books) flying all about, Ree couldn't see the battle for a moment. She had no idea when he had learned that little trick, or _how_, but it was definitely something no one had been expecting.

And when the wind died down and the rest of the leaves floated to the floor, the herdier lay unconscious across the arena. Along with a couple shelves of books.

"I must admit, I hadn't expected a snivy to be capable of that move," Lenora admitted, but with respect. She returned her herdier—which meant she was half done! Granted, that had done a number on her snivy, but he had taken out her first pokémon all on his own!

"Alright Whippy!" He grinned arrogantly, snout in the air, and pretended like he wasn't dripping blood from his fangs. Ree beckoned him over during the lull, looking him over. He wasn't looking too good, and she had a sneaking suspicion that the blood on his mouth wasn't just the herdier's. "You're in pretty rough shape, mister. Are you sure you want to head into the next battle?"

"Sni!" he exclaimed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Her second one is her tougher one, Harry told us that. You're hurt. Even with that new leafy trick... Seriously, what the fuck? When did you get that?" He beamed up at her, tail quivering. She clearly wouldn't be getting any answers. Ree sighed and put her hand on top of his head. "If you're _sure_ you want to stay out... It's gonna hurt." How to tell your starter that he was going to faint early on in the next round?

He pattered off, back into the circle. He either knew it or he didn't, but either way, it looked like he was set on remaining the center of attention.

"No matter how grim the situation, I'll find a winning strategy. Clever tricks are just tricks without the research and understanding to back it up!" the gym leader declared and released her last pokémon, a long, wiggly thing that seemed much faster than the herdier that came before it.

Whippy had already unleashed another leafy gust at it while she dug out her pokédex. She had to wait until it cleared until she could get a reading on it, but it confirmed her suspicions—it was the evolution of patrat. So a bigger, stronger, more annoying rodent.

"Hypnosis!"

Uh-oh. "Fuck! Whippy—" He hit the ground with a hissed snore before she could finish it.

"Crunch," Lenora said smugly. Ree couldn't quite return him fast enough to get him out of the way of the attack, but he was out for this, either way. She just hoped that hadn't hurt him too much more. So, a watchog with the ability to put things to sleep...

Fair was fair, then. "Lala, come on out! Throw out a stun spore, quick!" Her whimsicott alighted on the floor, fluff looking large again, and shook out a fine coating of gold all over herself and the immediate area. She then puffed it out, most of it floating over towards the watchog. It ran out of the way pretty easily, but Lala's usual strategy worked with even that.

Shedding it and leaving it where she went, she circled around it, chasing it with clouds of stun spore. It couldn't run backwards, so it couldn't turn around long enough to give her a hypnosis, since she was even faster than Whippy. Lenora frowned, and Ree smiled to herself. Two could play status tactics.

Finally, there was so much stun spore in the arena that even Ree was getting it on her clothes. The watchog finally ran into a particularly large pile, tumbling over its numbed paws and further coating itself with it. Lala gave a loud cackle as the paralysis began to take over.

But she had stayed in one place, and before either of them knew it, the watchog had sent a hypnosis her way. Lala swayed on her feet, woozy, but managed to stay conscious. The watchog, even slowed, had enough time to tackle her, and they both went skidding across the arena, sending up a splash of gold dust. Ree could see it stare at her again with those glowing eyes, and her whimsicott finally fell asleep.

It then sat on her and chewed away, though it seemed to have trouble getting through her thick fluff.

"Lala! Wake up!" Lala was the powerhouse, and the fastest. The watchog clamped down on her shoulder, drawing blood, and she stirred. But she didn't fully wake up. Ree danced from foot to foot anxiously; did she risk waiting to see if she'd wake up? Did she return her to prevent her from getting hurt worse? "Lala!" Ree shrieked, hoping to make enough noise.

"Retaliate!" Lenora called.

"Not fair! We didn't attack you!" Ree shouted, just as loudly.

"The move doesn't work that way. If you'd like, after my victory, I'll give you an outline on what exactly it does," she offered, not entirely meanly.

"Lala, wake up!" she tried again, but Lala didn't even snore this time. _How_ she could sleep through a watchog biting her was beyond her comprehension, but evidently, hypnosis was a powerful thing. After opening another bite wound, Ree gave up and returned her. She did a little damage, and she _did_ slow it down considerably... But she didn't like relying on Harper for an entire gym battle.

Although flight would be nice.

Ree tossed the pokeball into the arena and her pidove flapped out, circling to gain some altitude. Thankfully, the area was open up all three stories, and she had more than enough space in between her and the paralyzed rodent. Harper whistled, winging down to swoop over Ree and Harry. "Harper, you're the last one awake, okay? Don't look at it if you can help it!"

"Pii?" she tweeted, perching on the second story railing.

"A flying pokémon. Well played, and a smart choice. But a bird that young can't have many long-range attacks, either, so you'll have to come in close eventually," Lenora appraised with a sharp nod.

"She has gust," Ree deadpanned, and on command, her little bird sent down a sharp gust of air at the watchog. It wasn't quite fast enough to leap out of the way, thanks to the stun spore still coating its fur. True, that much distance between them weakened the attack considerably, but she could stay well out of range of any of its attacks.

Harper took to the air again, circling lazily, occasionally sending down a gust to stir up the golden dust or hit the watchog. It tried to dodge, and did managed to get away from some of them, but it was just running into more and more stun spore, and Whippy's only attack had done a little damage, too. For all of Ree's concerns, it was shaping up to be very one-sided, if painfully slow.

The watchog, after getting backed into a corner of the arena, did manage to glare a hypnosis up at Harper. She wobbled in the air, dipping dangerously, but shook her head and managed to land safely on a bookcase. It was on the ground floor, much closer to it, but still far enough away that she could sleepily hop to another bookcase by the time it tried climbing up that one. "Be careful! Try not to damage the books!" Lenora called fretfully, but she allowed her watchog to scale the shelves.

"And I didn't even have to use that against her," Ree told Harry, gesturing with pride as her pidove glided across the arena to another bookshelf, just as the watchog leapt at her.

"I'm glad, but the fact that you were entertaining it..." Harry sighed.

"Only a little."

Finally, Harper got the lucky shot she needed to really pull ahead. She managed to nail the watchog with a gust to the face just as it jumped at her; it fell, mid-leap, and hit the bookcase on the way down. She chirped excitedly, waking up a little, and looked over the edge down at it. It was slow to get back up, and she nailed it with another gust that pushed it back to the floor. This repeated twice more before it just didn't get up again.

"More than just talent, that was some motivation. And a little unorthodox battling, which I always applaud!" Lenora came over and clapped Ree on the back, making her stumble a bit. "I must admit, my initial theory about you wasn't completely favorable. But you won! Stand up strong, and proud, girl!"

Harper swooped down and settled on Ree's shoulder with an affectionate, drowsy chirp. Ree pet her with two fingers and gleefully accepted her second badge. She was _so_ ahead of schedule! Three pokémon and two badges, and in just under three weeks out!

They headed back to the pokémon center, and all the while, Ree was admiring her new badge. It was just so shiny, and such a pretty shade of purple! The nurse on duty took her pokémon, including a sleeping Harper off her shoulder, and the two girls lounged on one of the couches while they waited. "Wow, it took us two tries to beat her. See? All of that training paid off," Harry said warmly.

"That's because my team is fucking awesome. And that new move of Whippy's... Shit, I'm going to have to get him to use that some more." Ree rested her head on the back of the couch, grinning hard. "I'm _so_ ahead of schedule."

"Schedule?" Harry asked.

"...Uh." Ree shifted and fiddled with Sophia, avoiding her eyes. That had been a stupid slip-up. "I just... Want to do this quickly."

"Why?" There was no suspicion in her tone, but curiosity. Still, it made her nervous.

Thankfully, it seemed as if Harper was done at that time, and Ree hastily retreated to retrieve her. "Your pidove is mostly unharmed, and she's been woken up. She seems to be in very high spirits, and she's otherwise very healthy," the nurse said happily, allowing the pidove to hop from her wrist to Ree's. "Your whimsicott has some bite wounds, but most of them are minor and shallow, so she should be done soon. Your snivy, however, had some pretty severe damage to his ribcage."

"...Severe?" Ree said dumbly. Her mood teetered.

"Oh, please don't worry! He'll survive," the woman said quickly. Her mood didn't fall. "He did, however, crack two ribs, and he has extensive bruising in that area as well, as several smaller bite wounds. Those should heal right up, but we are worried a bit about his ribs."

"He'll be alright?"

"Oh yes. It will be painful for awhile as it heals, but there are two routes we can take right now, and we need your permission for either. It looks as if he's fairly close to evolving, which is wonderful for healing a pokemon's body. They'll heal right up that way. But since there is no guarantee as to when that will happen, and he can't undergo strenuous exercise until then, we can also try to fix as much as we can until then. But broken ribs are not like an arm or a tail; we can't exactly put him in a cast, so there isn't very much we could do. If you preferred to wait until he evolved, we would only do some minor fixes, and give him painkillers."

Whippy was close to evolving? As horrible as it was, that was all Ree really got out of that bundle of information. He took down Lenora's herdier on his own, he had that epic new move, _and _he was close to evolving! Her starter was going to evolve! It would be the first evolution she'd go through as a trainer, since previous endeavors had never lasted that long...

"We'll wait. Painkillers." Whippy was going to _evolve_! Lala was already strong and had evolved, so he'd get a lot stronger, too. They could be even stronger! And then, before she knew it, Harper would evolve, and she and Whippy both had one more left after that, and they'd all be stronger, and they could work even faster, and get even _more_ ahead of schedule—

"—and one every morning when he wakes up, and one before bed. It's difficult to gauge when exactly he'll evolve, but we'll give you a two-week prescription. If he still hasn't evolved, you can renew the prescription, or see another nurse in any other pokémon center if you'd like to change your decision. ...Though really, I can't imagine it would take too much longer than a couple weeks for the little fellow to evolve!"

The nurse wrote out a list of instructions along with the prescription, but it meant that they would have to wait until the morning to get it filled. They also wanted to keep an eye on him, just in case he did something to further aggravate his injuries. Not even being stuck another night in Nacrene could faze Ree, though. After all, they were ahead of schedule, Harper was totally okay, and her other two were healing! Whippy would evolve! Two badges!

Ree was so happy she was doing a happy dance in the middle of the mess hall, much to Harry's embarrassment, while her pokémon gulped down food like they hadn't eaten in years. Strange looks and whispers couldn't do anything to dampen her mood. Whippy stealing an entire steak off her plate couldn't hurt her mood.

And then her phone rang, with Scott's ringtone. Even that had a hard time ruining her fun, until, after greetings, he asked her, "You're out training, aren't you?"

Ree slipped and fell onto her chair, Sophia clattering loudly to the floor. "...What?" she asked breathlessly, waving Harry's concern off. Surely she had just misheard him.

"You were asking all of those questions earlier, and I know you haven't played _Persona 4_. I saw Maya today." That snitch. That _bitch_. "You know she can't lie very well to people's faces. She didn't _need_ to tell me. You don't, either, but I want to hear you say it, Ree. Are you a trainer again?"

"Vee-vee?" Whippy asked, leaning over the table to where she was still half-laying on the chair. He had stiff bandages around his middle and strict instructions not to move too much, and whatever they had given him while bandaging him up and put him in a better mood than his trainer, but increased his already monumental appetite. And even bandaged up like that, he was cute and haughty.

Staring up at her starter, Ree knew she couldn't lie again. "...Yes, Scott. I'm a trainer again," she said, utterly defeated. Her mood finally fell.

"Nacrene, right?" Her heart leapt into her throat. Ahead of schedule or not, she hadn't been gone three weeks yet! She _couldn't_ let him catch her that fast! Because if Scott found her, there would be a confrontation, and things would be said. She wouldn't be able to justify herself anymore. Right now, she was alone, and had to stand on her own. That was the only way she could do this.

"You don't have to come see me. I'm doing fine," Ree said, too quickly.

"I _want_ to see you. I want to know why you ran away to do this. ...And I want to see your pokémon. You've never had one, Aubie aside, for as long as I've known you." He sounded amused, which was a good sign, but she still didn't want to see him.

"Lilith was mine," she pouted.

"Lilith was Maya's when I met her," he reasoned.

"I... No."

"Why not?"

Unable to come up with a good excuse that wasn't the truth or an outright lie, Ree did the only sensible thing she could: she hung up on him.

"We're stuck here for tonight, but as soon as we get your drugs tomorrow, I want to head out," she told Whippy, and he nodded. "Eat well and rest up. You too, guys. We may have to race through the forest and Castelia..." They lived in a suburb of Castelia, so she knew that would be the direction from which he was coming. That meant that their paths would overlap either in the forest or the city, depending on whether he was going to try to head her off there. They had to spend the night in Nacrene, but there was no way he could make it through Pinwheel in just one night either, so there was no point fretting.

"Is, um, everything okay?" Harry asked timidly as Ree climbed back into her chair properly.

She had lied enough today, and the guilt was still sitting heavily in the bottom of her stomach. Harry had already proven herself to be a great friend. She deserved some truth. "I'm trying to avoid Scott, my boyfriend. But he's figured out the whole trainer thing now, and he thinks it's a great idea to come find me." She stabbed at the pasta salad on her plate, the only thing Whippy had left.

"Is he... Is this bad?" Harry asked in a whisper, eyes round. "Are you _running_ away type avoiding? Is everything alright?"

"Oh! No, it's nothing like that!" she said quickly. "He's a great guy. I just... want to do this trainer thing on my own, leaving him and Maya behind."

"Maya's your sister, right?"

"Yeah, but she's behaving a bit better. He's the one who's being problematic right now."

"I-I know it's not my place to say, but, um... Ree, becoming a trainer is a big deal. Running away from your boyfriend and family isn't a very good idea." Harry fidgeted, looking down at Jackster instead of up at Ree.

Oh, if only she knew. "Harry, I'm the goddamned _queen_ of bad ideas."

-.-.-

The next morning, the panic returned. Scott would've had all night to head through the forest, and they were sitting ducklett in Nacrene! As soon as she could, Ree grabbed Whippy's medication, threw her things into her bag, and headed out the door.

Then she returned for her pokémon and the cell phone charger she'd left plugged into the wall.

"Are you ready yet?" Ree asked, peeking into the bathroom.

"Juff a mom'n," Harry replied with a toothbrush in her mouth. She spat, rinsed out her mouth, and started putting away her bathroom things. Ree danced from foot to foot, Whippy whining as he swung in her arms, and looked around the room for anything she might've forgotten (again). "Ree, Pinwheel Forest is big. No one could get through it in just a night, even if they were the most powerful trainer in the world. There's just a lot of ground to cover."

"I know, but now he's gonna be in the forest, and _we're_ gonna be in the forest, and we could run into each other! ...Harry, we need a plan in case we run into Scott or any of his pokémon. Harper can act as a lookout—oh, damn, none of my pokémon have ever met him... And neither have you, I mean! Fucking hell, I hate this, I don't want our paths to cross..." Running away from him? That was cool with her. But when there was potentially circling around and they were headed _towards_ each other... Not so great.

"You're too nervous. It'll be fine!" Harry soothed as she finished packing the rest of her things. "Even if you _do_ run into him... Well, it's a big forest. Just so long as he's not a track star, it'll be pretty easy to run off and find some place to hide."

"I _am_ the faster runner in sprints," Ree admitted reluctantly. "But he's a runner, too! He jogs like, all the fucking time! He can totally outrun us for a long time, and we'll be panting and about to pass out, and he'd just come up like 'hey girls' and—"

"Ree, it'll be fine!" the redhead repeated, though she sounded a little panicky herself. She put her pokeballs in her pocket, pulled her obnoxious neon purple sweater over her head, and headed towards the door. "You have a jacket, or coat, or sweater or something, right? Pinwheel doesn't get a lot of sunlight, and it's definitely fall weather now. It can get sorta cool in there, especially at night."

"Oh, yeah, I have a jacket." She'd spent the first night curled up in it, after all. The reminder of the training portion of her life was soothing, too.

"Are you ready?"

"Hell yeah! Let's get this train wreck over with."

The girls restocked on non-perishable food and water, and a couple of other items Harry recommended, like lots of antidotes for various poisons and the like. It would be awhile until the next city, and while Harper would have the advantage on most of the common pokémon in there, it would still be tough. The first gantlet in any new trainer's journey.

It was about ten in the morning when they left Nacrene proper. They got as far as the outpost building before getting stopped. "You! Wait up!" Ree, fearing the worst, had Sophia out and at the ready before Harry could blink. She ended up almost hitting a man in the face as he jogged up.

Harry extracted the bat from her grip. "I'm sorry, my friend is just... excitable today."

"You got me fired." The pair stared up at him. Ree couldn't immediately place him, though he looked a little familiar. Cute, at least, so she'd give him her time. The man glared at her (and even did that attractively) and waited for some sort of response. When he finally figured out that it wasn't coming, he sighed and threw his hands into the air. "Yesterday! In Lenora's gym! You got me _fired_."

"Oh! The receptionist dude!" Now the puzzle pieces fell into place. Well, one. Ree looked awkwardly around. Threats aside, she hadn't meant to get anyone kicked out of a job or anything. And it wasn't like she had _told_ Lenora. "Well... That sucks. We're headed out, out of your hair, though, so—"

"Oh no. This is _your_ fault, so you're taking responsibility." Ree, responsible? She wanted to laugh. "I don't have many prospects here, and I only have one pokémon. Decent enough battler, but I'm not going through Pinwheel on my own. So this means that _you're_ going to be my escort, miss."

"And listen to you bitch and moan and complain? No thank you." She turned to head back out, but he caught her by the back of the shirt and hauled her back. Harry kept Sophia away. "Let me go! I don't owe you shit!"

"You got me fired. Don't you feel any guilt at all?" he asked pitifully. That was more guilt-inducing than anything else.

"Ree, we're already headed in that direction, so it's not as if it's out of our way..." Harry piped up shyly.

"I'm not going to be a burden, I just don't want wild pokémon stalking me the entire way. I can handle my own battles, cooking, eating, whatever you like," he said quickly. It was looking as if she'd be outvoted on this. And who knew? Maybe she could hide behind him if they stumbled across Scott. (It wasn't as if Harry was tall enough to hide behind.)

Wait, Scott.

"Okay, what the fuck ever! We have to get going _now_! I have a boyfriend to avoid!"

"...What." Ree had already bolted for the door after snatching Sophia back, waving the bat around, half-expecting said boyfriend to jump out of the bush nearest the door. Harry and the ex-receptionist trailed after her.

Running around like a madwoman in an unknown forest got very boring, very fast. She also got completely lost and simply managed to circle around until she came up behind her two cohorts. After that, Ree gave up on the sprint and allowed herself to go at their pace, though she felt the need to complain about it.

Until that got boring too.

"So, um, I'm Harry," Harry said loudly, cutting across Ree's directionless moaning.

"You can call me Kev," he replied with another charming smile. He had nice smiles, really.

"Like Kevin?"

"...Something like that." _That_ wasn't suspicious at all. But he turned to Ree expectantly, so the conversation moved forward regardless.

"Ree."

"...Interesting," Kev said, arching an eyebrow.

"It's a nickname, like _Kev_," she hissed at him, raising Sophia as a warning. "Why do you want to get to Castelia so badly again?"

"Nacrene doesn't have many prospects. Castelia is much larger, and there's a research facility there." The pair looked at him blankly. "For my first year here, I worked as a research aide in Lenora's gym. The, well, research portion of it, not the battling. You need a certain amount of strength to work in any gym, which I have, but I'm not here to be a trainer or anything."

"Your first year? How long had you worked at the gym?" Harry asked pleasantly. She was clearly happy at having a civil conversation.

"Two and a half years. Not long, but it was a comfortable job. I like researching pokémon." His smile was starting to wear down Ree's defenses, and she didn't like that. She had a mission! Gym badges, time limit, ahead of schedule, avoid Scott like all fuck. ...Oh yeah, pokémon were involved in that. She shuffled behind them and released her pokémon into the forest, glaring at the back of Harry's red hair for not reminding her.

Harper puffed up almost immediately, chirping at Kev. Whippy caught on a little later, but offered hissing, too. "Woah, stop it. He's going to be traveling with us for this," Ree said quietly, scooping up her injured snivy before he could leap at the man. Harper calmed and flapped around almost lazily, surveying the area with a keen gaze. Whippy moodily stayed in Ree's arms. "Don't pout. We'll be here for a couple days, so get used to it."

"Scott," Lala agreed. She bounded up the path, past Harry and Kev, and in no time flat, was picking fights with wild pokémon. It was training, at least.

"Sni!" Ree caught him as he leapt out of her arms. "Vee-vee?"

"You're still hurt, and you can't go running off. You're staying close to me, okay? Also, your medicine is soon, I think." She checked her phone, and surprisingly, more time had passed than she'd thought. Even more surprisingly, she had signal. "Hey, why's my phone still working?"

"Why wouldn't it?" Kev called back.

"Headed into Nacrene, I didn't have signal for a couple days. And that wasn't nearly as heavily wooded as here."

"Pinwheel Forest is problematic for new trainers, and even citizens of Nacrene. The region puts special emphasis on this area for things like phone signal to try to help people, and because there are so many accidents here every year." Ree shuddered. She didn't want any _accidents_. She'd fulfilled her quota, damn it. Harry continued, "There are usually many field researchers here year-round, too, so they need to keep in contact with various people. There's actually a lot of people in this forest at any given time. And, of course, even more pokémon."

"Ah, yes. A couple of my coworkers had done some of their early projects here," Kev said offhandedly, looking up at the trees all around. A couple of bugs looked down at them curiously, but aside from Lala picking fights, they were okay with giving them their space.

Ree allowed Harper to go off (after covertly showing her a picture of Scott from her phone, just in case), but made Whippy stay close. He wasn't happy about this. Later on into the afternoon, the whimsicott took pity on her teammate and led some pokémon back to them for him to battle, but Ree put a stop to that after he managed to get hit in the chest again.

"Vee-vee snivy," he growled, but Ree was unsympathetic.

"If you want to go off and do your own thing again, hurry up and heal. And you can only do that quickly through evolution!"

"Vee-snivy-snivy!" he burst out. Okay, maybe saying he _couldn't_ battle wasn't the best route for getting him to evolve soon. But she didn't want him making his wounds worse.

"Why not have Lala paralyze things she brings to him? That'll cut down on risks," Harry suggested, always helpful. That was the compromise they finally settled on, and he returned to being a little hellion. Twice he knocked over Kev in his battling, which probably wasn't completely on accident, but he had a better time of it after he sweet-talked Lala into bringing him paralyzed foes.

"Interesting team you have," Kev remarked, getting up again. He rubbed his ass from where he fell, and okay, maybe she stared a little. He was just pretty. And there was nothing wrong with _looking_, as Maya was so fond of saying. "Strong enough for this area, but not exactly a cohesive group..."

"We do fine, thank you," Ree sniffed. "Harry, why don't you release your team? They can get a little practice in, too." She would get Jackster to behave like a proper battling pokémon again if it killed her. And, if they came across birds (of which there were plenty in the forest), she only had Harper to contend with them. Jackster could keep them away easily.

"U-Um, well." Harry flushed and rubbed her arm, staring at her shoes. "I just..."

"You have a team, too?" Kev asked in surprise.

"I'm not really training these days..." she mumbled, voice dropping low. Finally, after expectant smiles from both of them, she released her trio as well. She introduced them to Kev and spent the next half hour calming Jackster from the stranger suddenly in their midst. Maybe she had been right to be a little apprehensive of letting them out.

Evening soon came. Not that they could tell; it was very dark in the forest already. They were mostly checking their phones for timing, in addition to growling stomachs. Hattie and Lala brought back all sorts of edible plants and berries, though the two pokémon couldn't bring enough to feed everyone on just that. Lala grudgingly went back out with Whippy to get some meat as the trainers started a fire.

"We brought some food with us, but gosh, I just don't want to eat some so early on. Jackster, sweetie, don't you want to help Hattie bring in food?" Harry cooed, but he just whinnied nervously and sat down. He curled around her with another small cry. "Oh, that's alright. You can stay here with us."

"He's very... timid," Kev said tactfully.

"He's just a little shy," she replied.

"I'll say," Ree said, but she meant it well. Maybe it hadn't come out all that well, but it was the thought that counts, right? Wincing at the withering look she received from her friend, she opened her mouth to add something—and screaming suddenly filled their part of the forest.

Ree jumped to her feet and started off—only to skid back and retrieve Sophia. She _knew_ that screaming! Waving her bat, she tried to track down her snivy by sound alone, but it was difficult in the dense, dark forest. She heard Harry calling after her over Jackster's scared neighs. He sounded close—and there, she could hear Lala's cries right under it.

She slipped on the half-rotted leaves under her boots, landing hard on her hip, but it proved to be a blessing in disguise when she spotted her pokémon through a gap in the trees. Harper swooped down, plucking at her shirt, trying to pull her back to her feet. It looked as if Whippy and Lala were fighting. ...Each other.

"What the fuck, guys?" Ree shrieked, sending them both into silence as they noticed her with big, guilty eyes. Then, after a beat, they were both shouting again, vying for her attention. "Calm down! Quiet—shut up! One at a fucking time!"

"Pii!" Harper added severely.

"Whippy, you go first."

"Vee-vee, snivy-snivy sni! Vee, snivy, sni—"

"Well that went about as well as I'd imagined," the brunette interrupted. She got up to her feet, dusting plant matter off her jeans, and picked Sophia back up. "Whatever you two are fighting about... Show me, or act it out, or conveniently teach me your language."

Harper landed on her shoulder, still eying them both. Whippy and Lala led them back into the clearing they'd been fighting in. Lala pulled on Ree's pant leg, giving her big, sad eyes, but Whippy smacked her with his tail. "Whimsi! Scott, whimsicott."

"Snivy-sni!"

"Whimsi_cott_!" she snarled back at him with a gesture up at Ree.

"Dove!" Harper cut back in, waving a wing at them to get back on track. She was surprisingly easy to read, for as tiny and quiet she (usually) was. Too bad the fighting ones weren't as easy to understand.

"Snivy." Whippy waddled over to one of the bushes near a tree, drawing back the leaves to point inside. That was ominous. Ree peeked into the gap, and found a small, trembling, gray blob. It was some sort of pokémon, surely, but it was difficult to see in the dark.

"...Okay, _what_ the fuck are you two on about?" Ree asked. She didn't want to reach into the bushes to retrieve whatever it was, especially not without finding out why they were throwing such a hissy fit over it. The last thing she needed to deal with was rabies.

Lala reached over and picked up Whippy's tail, biting it. He jumped and hissed, but she dropped it right away. "Whimsicott."

"So you wanted to... eat it?" She _had_ sent them out hunting, after all. Lala nodded vigorously. That would probably explain the shivering of the thing; a lot of her paralyzed victims started shaking as they tried to move. It would also explain why it wasn't running away or something.

"Snivy!" Whippy cried, drawing her attention again. He pointed back to the form in the bushes, now concealed again. "Snivy-sni, vee-vee!"

"And you... didn't," Ree guessed. He nodded, too. So that was the fight explained, but it left _why_ he didn't want to eat the thing up to her imagination. He'd eaten far worse, and far more. They had a rule of not eating teammate species, but Harper was the only gray teammate, and that thing had had fur. At least, it'd looked like fur.

She couldn't see many reasons why he'd turn down his next meal, especially since he had killed a patrat just an hour ago. It wasn't as if his morals had suddenly changed.

"Vee-vee, snivy." He reached in and pulled the gray thing out. It gave a cry, for the first time, and uncurled as it fought to remain under cover. She could see four legs, a long tail, massive ears—definitely fur, definitely mammalian. With a grunt, he pulled it free and set it down in front of Ree, keeping his tail curled in between it and Lala. "Snivy."

"No," the small pokémon said pathetically, looking up at Ree with terrified, big eyes. Why did everything she ran into have excellent kicked lillipup eyes?

"Whimsicott," Lala pleaded, tugging on her pants again.

"Well... I'm not going to let you kill this thing in front of me. I don't want to see that shit. Whippy, you win this round, but you're returning with us to camp. Lala, you're free to go terrorize the night and bring back the meal, so you pick tonight," Ree groaned. She didn't want to decide the fate of wild meals-to-be. As long as she didn't think too hard about it, she was okay with eating whatever her pokémon brought back. But when it was still alive and staring at her? Different story.

"Vee-vee?" Whippy asked hopefully.

"Yeah, she's not allowed to kill it. Can't believe you two were raising hell over something like this..." She turned on her heel to try to find her way back to camp. She didn't see the light from the fire. "Harper, do you remember where we came?"

She nodded and flapped into the air, leading her back a vaguely familiar direction. Well, she would've been leading had Ree not been stopped by Whippy again. "Vee-vee, snivy?" he asked again, and then pointed at the gray thing.

Ree put Sophia under her arm so she could cross them. "What? You won, so it's safe."

"Snivy?"

"...You are _not _asking me if we can keep it."

He was.

Ree, reluctantly, followed Whippy and Harper back to camp. Whippy all too happily volunteered to carry the gray thing. She didn't recognize the species right away, and her pokédex was in her backpack. She didn't need it, however, since as soon as they returned, Harry exclaimed, "A minccino! Ree, is this why you ran off in such a hurry?"

"Yeah, thanks for the backup, you two," she groused and sat down. Harper landed on her head and made a nest of her hair.

"No offense, but I didn't feel like chasing after the screaming girl with the baseball bat," Kev replied primly.

"Um, yeah... But it's so cute!" Harry said and leaned over to look at the gray thing closer.

"Mister Snivy Whiplash wants to _keep it_," Ree explained scathingly. He beamed up at her. "I mean, I guess it's not... bad? But I hadn't wanted a fourth pokémon just yet. We're doing fine, and I'm still trying to get these three completely under control."

"But it's so cute!" Harry repeated.

It was true. In the firelight, she could see it better, and it was all fur and big ears and fluffy tail and googly eyes. It was still clearly unsure of the situation, but it didn't seem nearly as scared anymore. It _was_ pretty cute... And Whippy seemed to like it well enough.

"I guess..."

"Is this normal for you?" Kev asked.

"Sort of." She fished her pokédex out of her backpack and pointed it at the thing. Minccino, normal type, and it liked to be clean. A normal type _would_ be good, since it could handle birds and fire without massive damage. It would serve to balance out the team a little. "Whippy, I'm blaming you if this turns out to eat me in my sleep in revenge or something." She grabbed a pokeball too, and before the minccino could react, she dropped it on its head.

It shook a couple times, but stilled. It had been paralyzed, and possibly attacked before Whippy had argued. She still wasn't sure why he had, either. Ree just felt a little numbed by it. A fourth member, just like that. No adrenaline, no epic capture, not even a battle. ...But it was warm-blooded! She finally smiled. Four pokémon, two badges, ahead of schedule.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Four teammates and a boyfriend lurking in the woods. Ree may have bitten off more than she could chew here, but at least the minccino is cute! Wait—she _definitely_ bit off more than she could chew as things rapidly get out of hand, and not Sophia, not Harry or Kev, not all the teammates in the world could have helped her.


	9. Of Running

"Hottie with the _Tomb Raider_ body, come here and sip up this shottie! Get naked—kick up this party, don't be afraid to get naughty!"

"I'm not going out partying with you tonight." Scott had a habit of calling her and singing. It was as if she was learning his language; she now knew what several songs meant, and _IDGAF_ was a party invitation. Scott laughed on the other end of the line, not at all deterred. "I have homework, and not even your pretty singing could make it go away."

"You sure? I have a magnificent voice," he pointed out in a rather failed attempt at a deep baritone. "Okay, I understand. I wasn't sure about going, either. I have band practice later this evening, and Carly's been giving me the evil eye for skipping."

"Common folk just don't understand the importance of waiting in line for a copy of _Mass Effect_," Ree sighed.

"Or the fact that it takes several hours waiting _in_ the damn line just to get a good spot. So, want me to come over and help?"

"Scottie, I'm doing better than you are. It's just reading, anyway. I can handle it on my own."

"You wound me! I'll have you know that I got a B on that last essay about _Brave New World_," he informed her proudly.

"And I got an A. Minus." It was a good thing he wasn't the songwriter in the band. He coasted by on bullshit and Ree's help in most of his literature courses, though he could write a pretty decent essay if he put his mind to it. Language was just not his forte. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"If Carly doesn't put a drumstick through my throat first."

"If she does, I'll shove a basketball up her ass. Bye, Scottie. Love you."

"Love you too, babe."

-.-.-

**Chapter Nine**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Running

-.-.-

Ree slotted the pokeball into her pokédex and waited for the information to load up. With a ding, the machine told her about her brand new teammate. It was a girl, ten months old, small for her size but almost fully grown. Then, it prompted her for a name.

"Goddamnit, I suck at naming," she complained, dropping the pokédex and pokeball into her lap. Whippy looked at them both excitedly.

"Naming isn't so bad," Harry reasoned.

"How did you name your other three?" Kev asked helpfully.

"Mister Snivy Whiplash, because he looks like a villain." On cue, he chuckled darkly and rubbed his claws together. "Lala, because she looked like a doll my sister used to have. Harper's named after someone. I'm not following any sort of pattern or anything here."

"Well... You could name her after someone else, I suppose. Or any other dolls in your family? Or... I named Hattie because it looks like she's wearing a hat."

"You could give her a meaningful name. I named my pokémon for the meaning of the name."

"I don't have a naming book with me. ...Maybe I'll pick one up." Getting a naming book reminded her too much of babies, but she knew trainers often bought them. And if she had four now, chances were she'd get two more, and she didn't want to get stuck with this feeling twice more. "In Castelia, I'll grab one somewhere. But I don't want to leave her nameless until then..."

"You could... name her after a song?"

"What? No, that sounds stupid."

"Um..."

"Mimi?" Kev suggested blindly. After Ree's look, he added, "Minccino. Starts with a mi, so you could work with that...? Or some sound in the name. That's pretty popular with trainers, at least the ones who go through Lenora's gym."

"Uh, maybe. I just don't like Mimi. I knew a Mimi, and she was a bitch."

"Well, we can eat supper while we think on it," Harry said as Hattie came back with another tiny batch of some sort of grass. "We decided to go with the old trainer standby—soup. Hattie's been kind enough to get us some seasonings, and I have some ramen noodles in my backpack, so we just need to send someone for water."

Ree and Harry both looked at Kev expectantly. He sighed but smiled. "Fine, I shall be the gentlemen for you both. I will be right back."

As soon as he was out of the firelight, Ree leaned over to Harry and whispered, "He's pretty cute."

"I suppose, and he's very nice. This was all so sudden, though."

"But he's _cute_."

"Yes. And I've traveled with people for less reason... N-Not you! I mean, in the past, wh-when I was a trainer..." Harry blushed and backpedaled, shaking her head. "I'm just worried that something will happen. We don't know much about him, aside from the fact that he worked with Lenora..."

"Well, that's sort of a government job, so he would've had to have passed a background check at some point. But don't worry. If he turns out to be a crazy serial rapist or something, I still have Sophia, and I think Whippy's been looking for a reason to chew on him," Ree said quietly and looked down at him. He nodded firmly.

"I know," Harry mumbled, "But things happen. And not necessarily by him—what if something bad happens _to_ him? He only has one pokémon, and—we just sent him out for water in the dark _alone_!"

"He'll survive." Ree rolled the minccino's pokeball back and forth on her thigh, trying to think of a good name. It wasn't as if she could change it later. She figured it was a good idea to keep her in the ball until she had some sort of name, just so she didn't have to call the poor thing one thing and then change it later.

Kev came back, surprisingly with Lala in tow. She had some sort of fish under one arm and a horribly mangled corpse under the other. "I found her near the stream. She can fish?"

"You know, I didn't even know a fluffy grass pokémon could be a hunter, okay? I just don't expect anything and get fucking miracles in return," Ree replied with a shrug. "Good girl, Lala! We're making soup tonight, too."

"Whimsi?" she asked hopefully.

"I... don't know?" Her whimsicott drooped and set the two carcasses near her trainer, then went off a little ways to wring blood out of her neck fluff. Ree poked at the two things with her finger. "Uh... Well, I don't know what your pokémon eats, Kev, but Harry, can yours pick out bits of meat?"

"Oh, yes. Shady doesn't mind meat, but I can separate it out for Jackster and Hattie."

"Visoka doesn't eat much meat, either, so I'll let your pokémon have his share," Kev said.

"...Bless you?"

"What?"

"Vis—_what_?" Ree asked.

He rolled his eyes. "Visoka is my pokémon, Ree."

"When do we get to meet, um, him?" Harry asked as he helped her put the pot onto the fire. Hattie handed her various herbs, grasses, and leaves, and she dutifully added them into the soup-to-be. Ree sighed to herself and got out her cooking knife, setting the pokeball and Sophia by Whippy. Looked as if butchering was up to her. Again.

"I guess... Now?" Kev pulled a minimized pokeball out of his pocket, tapping it once to maximize it. "He's not very friendly towards strangers, just a warning. But he'll behave." He released his pokémon, and out came... Ree wasn't sure what the thing was. Harry gasped, too, and both girls instinctively backed up.

"Wh-What is that?" It had the head of a tepig, with smaller ears, but it was _purple_. And had a circle on top of it! And it was _bouncing_ on nothing but some sort of spiral from the neck down. That was no Unovan pokémon. Ree wasn't even aware she was pointing her knife at it until it snorted at her.

"It's a spoink."

"That's... not from here," Harry asked, arms around Jackster as he stared at it. She seemed more surprised than he did. "How did you afford to import it? Him, I mean."

"He came with me," Kev said awkwardly.

"You're... not from Unova." First June, and now Kev. Ree had lived near Castelia for most of her life and she had met maybe half a dozen foreigners, ever. It was strange, and... it made her uncomfortable, for some reason. "I didn't notice, I'm sorry, you don't have an accent."

"I've worked hard not to," he said with a smile. "Unova is a wonderful region, but they don't very much like others, do they? I'm here legally, I can assure you."

"Where are you from?" Harry asked, easing back into the conversation. Ree turned back to cutting apart the dead pokémon. She did suddenly feel better with Sophia beside her.

"Hoenn. I moved here just about four years ago, and have been working in Nacrene for most of that." She ignored the pointed look. "Unova was nice, but I wasn't expecting all of the strange looks, and the treatment."

"Well, you would've come in just after we locked things down again, so... yeah," Ree said lamely. Unova hadn't always been so isolationist, but during Team Plasma's rise to power, they tightened borders and pokémon imports and exports. Too many foreign pokémon and people invited trouble, or so the media decided.

"I'm used to weird looks for my skin tone, but not accent or pokémon," Kev admitted, trying to lighten the mood with a self-conscious chuckle. Ree hadn't given him a second glance just because he had darker skin than she did.

"Other places _do_ that? Why?" Harry asked, echoing her thoughts. "Oh, I mean, that just seems so strange..."

"Unova is a strange place."

"Hey, it's a fucking awesome place. We just think that keeping to ourselves is pretty serious business," Ree said loyally, though she only half believed it herself. She wouldn't have minded seeing pokémon from other regions regularly. The accents and languages were strange, but the pokémon weren't too bad. Although, if they all looked like someone had painted a tepig head purple and put it on a spring...

"Maybe it is, but there's no rationale I would buy for discrimination," he said easily, and the conversation was too deep into 'awkward' territory to salvage it. Silence was the only response.

Ree didn't think she was being discriminatory. _He_ was the one from Hoenn, but she was just a little surprised. Sinnoh, being their closest neighbor, did have some tourist trade with them, so Sinnohans weren't terribly rare. She heard people all over the world came to research with Lenora or work with Burgh, but it wasn't as if she met those people. She just didn't know how to act around him. Was that being mean?

She dropped the meat chunks into the pot, annoyed and angry at herself. She had meant to become a trainer, win eight badges, and pop out a baby. She didn't want to get into politics or social issues. She wasn't _blind_; she knew there were some problems with Unova. But she hadn't meant to get Kev fired or act all awkward around him.

Just as she opened her mouth to give him a rather angry apology, Lala came over and plopped herself in her lap. Ree looked down at her. Lala, stubby arms crossed, just stared moodily down at her stomach. "...What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"Whimsi," she pouted. It seemed as if pokémon didn't care about human affairs; they had their own things to deal with.

"Can you elaborate a bit?"

"Whimsi!" she repeated and pointed at Whippy. He was engaged with the spoink and was balancing the minccino's pokeball on his tail. Sort of a neat trick.

"Whippy? ...Your fight with him earlier?" Lala nodded and crossed her arms again with a sore huff. Ree grimaced and tried to think of what she'd done wrong this time. "...Is it, uh, because I took his side?"

"Scott."

"I don't like seeing things killed in front of me, I'm sorry. It's just a thing, and I hope it doesn't change."

"Whimsi, si whimsicott!" Lala exclaimed. Sometimes, Ree could follow vaguely along, based on gestures or what had just happened. But this wasn't one of those times. She supposed she could see why Lala was upset, but she really hadn't wanted anything killed in front of her. It wasn't as if she was lying, and she thought it was a damn good excuse. Her whimsicott sighed and curled up again. "Si-cott."

"I'm sorry. Dinner's almost ready, so do you wanna eat?" Ree asked, lifting her up. Her fluff would need another trim soon, but in the morning would be better. Lala grudgingly nodded and wiggled out of her grasp.

Harry had four little dishes—one for herself and each of her pokémon. They were labeled, by hand it seemed, and even had different colors for each of them. Ree and Kev stared. She blushed, but smiled. "Well, it's easier this way! And this way, they know which dish is theirs, a-and they can retrieve them without having to read their name on it..."

"They're not house pets," Ree said practically. She had two bowls and a cup, and—shit, she had forgotten to pick something up for Harper in Nacrene. Staying at the center had spoiled her. And she didn't have anything for the minccino, either. It looked as if Kev was sharing his dish with his spoink, too, at least.

"I'm not a trainer right now," Harry retorted and passed the spoon to Kev.

"Aren't _you_ going to have any meat?" he asked, concerned.

"I'm used to not eating much meat out on routes. You and Ree can have it, don't worry. Food's food."

"I'm a vegetarian," he replied, still sounding puzzled. "So is Visoka. Having a pokémon whose species is often raised for food changes your perspective on things."

"Wait, so Lala went hunting and it was only going to be for us?" Ree asked incredulously. After exchanging a glance, both Harry and Kev nodded. She groaned. "Okay, fine then. Duly noted for tomorrow."

She hid Whippy's medicine in his meal and let him and Lala eat first. Lala mostly picked at her meal, she noticed. Harry did ask for seconds for Jackster, but there was more than enough to go around. It was soup, of course, so not super hearty or completely filling, but they wouldn't go to bed hungry, at least. She and Harper got their turn next, and Ree then released the minccino. Most of the paralysis seemed to have worn off, though she was still a little skittish. At least, until she got food. Then she was all sweetness and smiles.

She had no problem eating meat, at least.

Against her prior wishes, the minccino ended up staying out for the rest of the night. Lala left her well enough alone, though Whippy didn't often leave her side. Harper seemed mildly curious at first, having a short conversation at one point, but otherwise didn't seem to care much either way. Jackster didn't seem as nervous as Ree would've expected, with the wilderness all around and unknown pokémon sleeping in camp. Shady worked well as a nightlight, too.

Kev offered to stay up later to make sure the fire died down properly, but that made Ree nervous. Harry, seeing that she was going to take care of it, went to sleep, snuggled up against Jackster with Hattie and Shady near her hair. An open flame near her hair made Ree nervous on her behalf, but she didn't seem bothered.

Kev, however, was—by the fact that Ree was staying up with him. "I can handle this on my own," he said quietly, kicking little bits of dirt onto the fire. They couldn't keep it going all night, but ideally, preserving some of the heat and embers for the colder bits and the morning would be best.

"I'm fine staying up. I'm not too tired yet." Ree helped put some things away and got her sleeping bag ready. Whippy was already sleeping, and it looked like the minccino was about to drift off, too, but Lala and Harper were still very much awake.

"...If this is because—"

"No, it's not," Ree interrupted curtly. "I'm sorry if we came off like racists or something, but you said so yourself. We don't have many other kinds of, uh, people here. Not many immigrants or anything."

"...I didn't mean you two when I said that," he said softly. "I meant people in general. You two seem nice, and you're polite enough. It's not as if anything actually happened, you know."

"...Well, thanks. I guess."

"...I _can_ handle this. You can go to sleep with your pokémon," he said and looked up at her.

"No offense—fuck, I _really_ mean it this time—but I don't care if you're from Hoenn or Kanto or Sinnoh or the middle of the world. But the fact of the matter is that you're a guy we just met today. Don't get snippy with me if I don't want to go to sleep right away in front of you."

"Ah." Kev looked down at his spoink, still bouncing slightly, though his eyes were closed. Visoka did seem like a decent pokémon, and true to his word, he did behave. Though Ree couldn't quite get used to how he looked. Was that racist against pokémon? Now she was going to over-think everything, she just knew it. "...I can understand that. I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable."

Ree groaned. "Ugh, it's not that! We wouldn't be letting you along if we thought you were a murderer or something." She grabbed Sophia and pointed it at him, not threateningly, but perhaps with a note of warning. "If I thought you were a danger to me, my pokémon, or Harry, I would have fucked you up, mister. But you're cute, and nice enough. Just keep in mind. I have a baseball bat and there's no one around to hear you scream."

"Why am I the bad guy here if you have the weapon?" he asked in bewilderment. He kicked a bit more dirt onto the fire, and then, satisfied, slipped into his sleeping bag and brought Visoka into it as well. "Going to bed now. He tends to squeal when he's woken abruptly, so think of it as some sort of alarm, though you also have more pokémon than I do."

"You're older than me," Ree muttered.

"I'm only twenty-two. You can't be that much younger than me." Five years, but she had _just_ started training. "...I've only had Visoka for about four years now. I'm not a trainer anymore, and he's never had any proper training, either. I don't have any badges, from Hoenn or Unova. I'm not trying to be a threat."

Ree would have to show him her handy dandy book on crime statistics. But she had filled her quota, she reminded herself. "...Goodnight, Kev."

"Goodnight, Ree."

-.-.-

Dawn of the third day. Scott stretched, humming to himself, and wished he had brought something other than jeans. It was a nice morning for a run. Still, denim was durable. Something in his gut told him this wasn't going to be as cut and dried as 'find Ree and talk to her and this all works out happily'. _Something_ had to have made her gone off and pick up training, and he still wasn't sure what that something could have been.

Hopefully it wasn't him.

"Are you just coming back?" he asked archly as his krookodile slunk back into camp.

"Kroo," Nigel replied guiltily.

"And now I suppose you'll want to sleep the rest of the day, huh?" As a dark pokémon, Nigel was fond of being nocturnal, but living in a house with other creatures usually put a damper on it. It seemed as if he was quick to readjust, though.

"Dile!"

"Fine, return." Scott called him back and clipped the pokeball onto his belt. "Guys, wake up."

"Scol," Rocio hissed at him, curled up into a little ball on the far end of camp. Beside her, Yorick got up, stretching. He gave his paws a couple licks and smoothed down his messy fur, then slunk over to Scott with a good morning lick for him, too.

"Up, Rocio!" he sang as he began to pack up his things. This would be their third day in Pinwheel Forest—second full day. They were getting closer to Nacrene, probably under a day's journey, but he wasn't sure if Ree would still be there. He knew he hadn't beaten Lenora on his first try (most trainers didn't), but she could have tried again yesterday. He just didn't want to miss her.

Vince nudged Rocio with his snout, then jumped back in surprise as she lashed out at him. "Lith! Gigalith!" he said at once, prancing about her nervously.

Scott knew Rocio wasn't a morning pokémon. She reminded him a lot of Ree in that aspect. Maybe it was a girl thing. "Rocio, come on. Even Barbeque is up! We'll probably make it to Nacrene today, so don't you want to sleep inside again?" She moved a little, but still didn't get up. He walked over and physically hauled her up to her feet. She immediately snarled and pinned him to the ground, pincers hovering over his face, and let out a sour hiss. "Up, Rocio," Scott said levelly. He knew his pokémon would never hurt him.

She backed off with a grumble. Vince came over to make sure he was okay, allowing his trainer to pull himself up on him, and snorted in Rocio's direction. She waved one of her hind antenna at him.

"Well now that everyone's _up_, we can get a move on." It took his scolipede almost an hour to wake up fully; he knew it was that long because that was when she finally caught on to the fact that he had stolen her circlet and was wearing it himself. She snatched it back from him with another hiss. He chuckled.

He let Rocio and Yorick do their things. Yorick just wanted to scout around the area, fairly peacefully, but Rocio strayed farther. He wasn't sure what she did, probably showing off her trophy to bugs she used to know, but it wasn't as if the wild pokémon in the area posed much of a threat to him. Vince stuck by him, curious but faithful, and Barbeque toddled along behind them. Every so often, Scott would send his gigalith to retrieve a pokémon for the darumaka to battle for some training. Might as well.

Just as he was thinking about stopping for lunch, he heard a scream. A very human, very female scream. Vince nearly jumped out of his skin—or rock—and pointed in the direction it had come from. "Giga!"

"Lead me to her!" He wasn't sure why he thought it was Ree. Well, it was a girl screaming, so if someone else was in danger, he felt obligated to help. It was what trainers did for each other.

And maybe he had a sinking sensation that it was one of his pokémon behind it, too.

Scott was proven correct on one count when he heard Yorick's barking. Vince tore into the clearing, shedding branches and leaves without a care, and Scott ran up after him. Yorick's long fur was standing comically on end and there was a tiny sewaddle in front of him.

The scene made a lot more sense when he finally got Vince out of the way and saw a younger girl with wavy red hair and a painfully bright purple sweater pressed up against a tree, litwick in her arms, a clearly terrified blitzle beside her. "Yorick! Stop terrorizing the trainer!" Scott commanded. Yorick's ears and tail drooped and he shuffled back over to his trainer, though his fur was still crackling with static.

"Th-That's your stoutland?" the girl asked breathlessly, eyes still wide.

"Yeah, I'm really sorry about him. He's just really curious, and we're looking for someone, so I guess he got a little overzealous!" Scott laughed nervously and tried to shoo Yorick back out of the clearing.

"You're looking for someone?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, my—Vince!" Scott barked as his gigalith got curious, too. He'd approached the blitzle, but before he could back off, the thing gave a scared whinny and zapped him. Electricity didn't do a whole lot, but it sent a clear message. Cowed, he shuffled back to Scott's side. "No. Remember, you're too big for this area. Play nice."

"You have a lot of very strong pokémon," she said meekly, stepping forward and dragging the sewaddle back closer with her shoe. She then picked that up, too.

"I'm sorry," he repeated helplessly.

"Well, um, I-I'll just be going," she said and beat a hasty retreat, bringing her blitzle along with her by the scarf. He waited until she was gone until he rounded on his two pokémon.

"Just because this is the first time we've been out in years doesn't mean you have to get into anything! Yorick, you know you shouldn't just run up to strangers, too!" he scolded.

"Stout, laaaa," he whined.

"What do you mean she smelled like someone? She _is_ someone. Thank you for helping me look, but don't scare any other newbie trainers, okay? I doubt very many of them have seen a stoutland before."

"...Giga-lith?" Vince asked suddenly, nudging Scott with one foot.

"What? I—oh god, where _is_ Barbeque?" He whirled around, looking for the little darumaka, but he was nowhere to be seen.

-.-.-

"Have you found the stream again? I haven't, and Visoka can't, either," Kev said, delicately stepping over a broken branch. He ran a hand through his hair and glared up at the treetops. "It sure gets warm in here for not much sunlight getting in..."

"Hey, look." Ree, squatting down, poked at the thing she had just found. He came over and looked over her shoulder at the pokémon. "What is this thing?"

"That's a darumaka. Fire pokémon, but they're definitely not native to this area. Either it belongs to someone or was abandoned here..."

"Huh." She poked at it again. It didn't seem to mind the attention. "...So no water?" After leaving their camp that morning, the path seemed to go away from the stream, and they couldn't find where it had gone. They didn't want to circle back, naturally, but it was a little worrying. The map in her pokédex didn't help, either.

"I didn't find any. I can only hope Harry found it."

"Vee-vee, snivy?" Whippy asked and gestured to the darumaka with his tail.

"If it belongs to someone else, we can't catch it. Duh. And plus... if I got a fire pokémon, it'd have to be a heatmor."

"A heatmor?" Kev asked.

"They're my favorite pokémon, and fucking awesome."

"That explains the stuffed one..."

"It was a gift!" she said defensively. It had gotten packed on the trip, and it wasn't as if she could just leave it somewhere. And with a reptile, a plant, a tiny bird, and a tiny furry thing, she was going to cling to whatever quasi-warm thing she could find.

"Snivy?"

"Daaa," it replied sleepily.

A loud bark cut across the scene, making both humans jump. Ree instinctively raised Sophia. Not moments later, a large stoutland bowled the pair of them over, eagerly rubbing his face all over Ree and making that weird growl-purr thing he liked to do. "Yorick! Get off!" Ree cried, panicked. He wasn't Scott, but he was just one step away. Too close for comfort!

"Stou!" he barked happily and clambered off, sitting in front of her, pleased as punch.

"Yorick, you stay away from me. Bad boy. Go back to Scottie."

"Scott—the one you're avoiding?" Kev asked sharply. She was about to nod when Vince burst onto the scene, too, knocking over Yorick and the darumaka. Shit—_now_ she remembered, Scott had called her to tell her he'd gotten a new pokémon! The red thing was probably his, too!

"Egress! Whippy, haul ass!" Ree shrieked and without much more warning, bolted.

And just after, a teenage boy with a long, blond ponytail stumbled through the bushes, panting heavily. "You guys...! I just told you..." He placed a hand against a tree for support. "Oh hey... Found Barbeque! Good... job..."

Kev, rooted to the spot, looked for a quick and unnoticeable escape route. None found. Scott noticed him and cast a glare at his pokémon. The gigalith whined and ducked his head low. "Um."

"I'm sorry... They got away from me. Lost my darumaka," he replied with a gesture. Vince picked up said fire pokémon in his mouth and set him on his back. Barbeque seemed fine to stay there.

"That's... okay."

"...This is probably a really weird question, but did you see a tall girl around here? I'm looking for her. About my age, brown hair, probably screaming and waving some sort of blunt instrument around?" Certainly an apt description of Ree. Kev tried not to grimace and instead stood up, dusting off his jeans. Still no escape routes other than simply—and awkwardly—walking away.

"...Nope. It's just me."

"Oh. Well. Sorry, again." Then, turning aside to his pokémon, he hissed, "_Guys_, I _told _you not to run into strangers!"

"Stoutland, land land!" Yorick said excitedly.

"She was—?" Scott turned around to find an empty clearing; Kev booked it out of there the moment his back had turned. He narrowed his eyes. It stood to reason that Ree had traveling companions; she was a social creature by nature. He still wasn't sure why she was avoiding him and telling _others_ to avoid him, but it was now a matter of pride. Donning his aviators, Scott surveyed the clearing once more. "...Okay then, we'll do this the hard way. Yorick, pick up her scent again."

-.-.-

Ree zigzagged, vaulting over low branches and bushes alike, Whippy in the trees above her. At her screaming, Harper swooped in with scared tweeting. "Pii? Pii-dove?"

"Harper, go back and see if you can see Scott! He has a stoutland and gigalith and darumaka with him!" She wasn't sure if the pidove knew what those were, but she'd at least seen a picture of Scott. Hopefully Kev had distracted him somehow. She was making so much noise she couldn't hear if anyone was following her or not.

It wasn't until she slipped off an unseen embankment and skidded down into a muddy little stream that she stopped running.

"...Ow."

"Vee-vee, snivy?" Whippy asked, concern clear in his tone, as he swung down from above. He landed neatly on a rock near her, tail quivering.

"I'm fine, I think. Muddy as shit, but yeah... Hey, isn't water supposed to throw people off the trail?"

By the time Harry and Kev found her again, Harper having led them to her, she and Whippy were covered in mud. There wasn't much to be said after that, since she found out that they had both had run-ins with her vagrant boyfriend. Wait—she was the vagrant. Whatever. They all knew what he looked like, so that was good. They knew who to avoid.

But he knew she was here, and close.

"Ugh, I did _not_ want him to catch up so soon!" she growled, perched moodily on a rock while her companions refilled various water containers.

"Usually, when people find sources of water, they get cleaner. Not messier," Kev said calmly.

"He has a stoutland! He'll be tracking me by scent, I know it, and this throws them off! ...It works in the movies, don't fucking judge me."

"It does work, to a certain extent," Harry broke in. "But Ree, won't you feel all gross? Especially when that dries..."

She was already feeling disgusting. But her fear at being discovered and interrogated and spilling her guts outweighed that. "...It's essentially a mud mask. For my whole body. I'll have kickass skin."

And then she leaned over and retched into the water.

"Are you okay?" Kev asked in alarm, backing away from the stream. Thankfully, she'd been downstream from them.

"Too much running," Ree grumbled. Her stomach had been mildly hurting all morning, but it was easy to ignore. Or had been, she supposed. She had a sneaking suspicion that it wasn't the running, but it made for a good excuse. ...Right, she'd have to tell the minccino her deep, dark secret at some point, too. After she got named. _Wait, did I ever tell Harper_? Ree couldn't actually remember. She'd caught her just before meeting Harry, and hadn't had much alone time since...

"And now you look dazed," Kev noted, hand pressed against her forehead. "You're not running a fever..."

"I'm fine. Just too much running in too short of time." She jerked away from his touch. Whippy was following at her feet with sympathetic whines, but she didn't _want_ his sympathy. She just wanted to be away from Scott and stop feeling icky. She leaned over and dry-heaved onto the rocks near the stream. Not much came up. Was morning sickness actually this bad?

"Was it the meat last night? Maybe it was undercooked, or it was bad, or maybe you're allergic to something else, gosh..." Harry fretted over her, pressing her damp sleeve against Ree's muddy cheek, and her sympathy was slightly more tolerable.

"Maybe," Ree lied. Her stomach felt settled now, at least. Not that there was anything else to throw up.

"Tonight, a vegetarian dinner, then!" Kev declared, pleased with this development. "I'll cook, if your sewaddle would be kind enough to gather herbs again."

"O-Oh, um, sure." Hattie, in her arms, didn't look quite as happy at being volunteered. "I'm sorry, Ree. I know it's terrible to get sick while out on routes... We're only about a day from Nacrene. Do you want to go back?"

"I don't have Ebola!" Ree squawked and stood up straight. "I'm fine! Private Ree Majors, reporting for duty, here to kick ass! I'm not sick, and even if I was, I don't have anything else to get on my shoes. We have our water now, right?"

"Yes..."

"Then let's get moving!"

"If you're sure..."

She was definitely sure. The more distance they could put in between her and Scott, the better. _Knowing_ he was so close was doing nothing for her psyche, she noticed, or her emotions. His team wasn't exactly built for speed, but they were strong enough not to get caught up in random battles, and Yorick could easily follow her scent. Hopefully the mud worked. Even a little bit.

It wasn't until an hour passed that she began to relax. Not that she wasn't expecting him to jump out of the bushes and cart her off or something, but he hadn't caught up yet. That was a good sign. Ree was still on edge, however, and the dried mud flaking off of her skin and clothes wasn't doing much for her mood. Lala came back long enough to realize her trainer was annoyed at the world and then bounced of again. Harper stuck closer, though, and Whippy seemed genuinely concerned for her health.

So did Harry and Kev, for sure, but her snivy knew a key detail that they didn't.

The minccino was mostly put in her pokeball for the day, since Ree didn't quite want to do the new pokémon thing in the middle of the forest. She seemed nice enough, but she could get lost, or hurt, or Lala could act aggressive again. And she _still_ didn't have a name. Lala was gone for most of the day, and Harper wandered off twice, but came back within the hour. Whippy stuck close. It looked like his protective instincts had kicked back in.

True to his word, Kev made dinner that night. He had some rice, and then Visoka and Hattie were sent out to collect various plants. Ree offered to let her pokémon help, too, but they waved her off. Whippy needed his medicine and usually was a little loopy afterward, and Lala demonstrated pretty quickly that she didn't know edible from inedible plants for humans. Ree was left with her team and an unnamed minccino.

"Mi... Mi... No... Chee..." Kev's suggestion about using some sort of sound was a good basis. It was the best idea available, anyway. "No... Cheeno? Mimi? Mino? Ugh, no... Ah, ee, la, loo," she listed off. Straying away from the minccino's species, but sounds were sounds. "Lula! Wait, no, too close to Lala."

"Lila? Lola?" Kev remarked.

"No—too close to Lala! Trying to get away from that. Back to M names..." Ree hung her head and glared at the pokeball in her lap. The only good thing about this situation was that Scott still hadn't caught up. (She waited a beat to make sure he didn't at that precise moment out of karmic spite.) She'd had the minccino for an entire day, interacted with her a little, and was more or less fine with her being part of the team. But she needed a _name_. Ree planned on getting a naming book in Castelia, but that was still a couple days away. She wanted to be able to use her and call her by name before then.

"Mina?" Harry recommended.

"Mi-something... I don't know. This is hard. Minnie, Michi, Miki, Mika, Mi..."

"Vee-vee?"

"No, I'm not naming her 'vee-vee'."

"Pii?"

"There are several things wrong with that vocalization as a name, Harper."

"Scott."

"That's an even _worse_ idea."

"Are you set on a Mi-name?" Kev asked. She nodded. "Hmm."

"I want something kinda cute, since she _is_ cute. Sweet, maybe. I don't know much else about her yet," she said.

"Cute, huh. What about Mitzi?" Harry suggested.

"Mitzi!" It sounded cute. And moreover, Ree was rapidly losing patience with the name game. "Mitzi, I like that. It works. I'm done now." She fished out her pokédex, flipped it open, and tapped the screen. It was still asking her for a name. Before she could change her mind or something could change it for her, she entered in 'Mitzi', and it was finalized. Ree sighed, pleased, and stowed the machine once more.

As Kev finished up dinner, clearly proud of the strange, obviously foreign dish he produced, Ree released Mitzi to eat, too. "Min?" she inquired politely.

"You're Mitzi, and I'm Ree. Pleased to meet you." Ree scratched her behind her large ears and Mitzi gladly pressed up against her hand. She now officially had four named pokémon to work with. She would have to get stronger to catch up to the rest of the team, but they were in an area with plenty of wild pokémon. Hopefully she'd be caught up before Castelia.

Dinner passed uneventfully. It was much less awkward than the night before, and Kev was a decent enough cook. The food sat better in Ree's stomach, too. She was beginning to wonder what had happened to Scott, though. She couldn't think of any reasons why he hadn't caught up during the day. The trees and foliage were thick enough around them to block out most of the firelight, and he had probably stopped for the night, too, but he could've caught up with them. Surely.

Not that she _wanted_ to see him, of course. But she didn't want anything bad to happen to him or his team, either. She wished he'd just go home or something, or go off to a different part of the region. Now would be a perfect time for him to go visit his dad and let her run through the western half of Unova on her own.

Ree drifted off to sleep that night, amazed that Mitzi could put off so much warmth. She was like a furry little heater.

She had a strange dream. It involved those multicolored ponyta from that cartoon Whippy and Lala were so enamored with, except they were all telling her she needed to love and tolerate more. Ree remembered some sort of level up sequence in which she gained Sophia as a sword—dream logic—but then got thrown into pitch black water by some sort of helmeted knight in red and black.

And then, upon hitting the water, Ree woke up uncomfortably. She needed to pee, and _badly_. Kev and Harry were asleep, and the fire was one faintly glowing ember half-buried under some dirt. Checking her phone, she saw that it was just past midnight. She felt too hot, sweaty and icky, in her sleeping bag. Maybe getting a hot-blooded, furred pokémon hadn't been a great idea. Or maybe she really was getting sick.

She slithered out of the sleeping bag, murmuring something to Whippy as he stirred, and waddled off a ways into the forest. She was aware of wild pokémon probably watching her, but she was too sleepy to care. Even out in the cool air, she felt too warm, and her makeshift pajamas were sticking to her in awkward places. She pulled her shirt off of her chest, giving her poor boobs some air, and then squatted down to relieve herself.

Except something was wrong.

Sleepy Ree was not a smart Ree. It took her several seconds of staring to realize what she was looking at. The feeling and sight were not unknown to her, but they were out of place, and it took her a couple moments to realize _why_. There was blood in her panties.

"...Harry," Ree croaked, stumbling back up to her feet. She pulled her pants up—fuck, stained clothes, something else she was familiar with—but there should _not_ be blood _there_ because of—"Harry!" It came out as more of a panicked squeak that time around.

"Mm?" Ree practically fell upon her before Harry got up. Rubbing her eyes, hair a mess, she asked, "Wha...? What is it, Ree?"

"HarryI'mbleedinghelpme."

"What...?"

She couldn't get much else out than that first, rushed statement before she burst into dry sobs. That certainly woke Harry up, and she pulled Ree over to her, rubbing her back, but clearly concerned.

"What is it? A-Are you okay? Are you sick again?"

"I'm bleeding," Ree gasped out.

There was a beat of silence. "...Oh." Then, more silence as Ree fought for breath. She _couldn't_ be bleeding—that couldn't be her period. She'd taken half a dozen tests and all of them had told her, firmly, _pregnant_. The only other cause of bleeding she could think of—Harry began rummaging around in her backpack, beside her pillow, with her other hand still rubbing Ree's back. "I think I have some, um, th-things in my backpack..."

Kev awoke from the noise, sitting up, and said something in a thickly accented foreign language. Then, a moment later, said, "What's going on?" He still had a bit of a sleepy accent.

Harry was her friend. She didn't want _anyone_ outside of her team to know, but Ree could nearly stand telling Harry. Harry was grounded, and safe, and reasonable. Kev was a foreign, albeit charming, man and she didn't want to tell him. He wasn't a bad guy, really, but she hardly knew him. This was supposed to be a secret mission. She didn't want to tell every person she happened to travel with.

But Harry was looking at her with clear concern, and this was a very real and very pressing problem. In a guilty whisper, Ree finally said it aloud to someone else. Not herself in the mirror, not her pokémon. "I can't be bleeding. I'm pregnant."

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: What happened to Scott? What's going to happen to Ree? Nothing pretty, on either end.


	10. Of Clashing

Erik and Renee Majors were on a date. Not just any date, but _the_ date. The first one they had managed to have since Renee had discovered she was pregnant, and with the due date looming ever closer, likely the last one they'd be able to have for awhile. "Dear, don't drive so fast. I still don't like riding in cars," she said, though truth be told, she was greatly enjoying sticking her head out the window. It was quite warm for august.

"Five more minutes. Please don't throw up in the car." He admirably resisted the obvious 'again'. She sighed and leaned her head back against the rest, closing her eyes. This wouldn't be anything fancy, just a picnic out in a park, but she was looking forward to it. Plus, she was hungry.

"Less than a month left. Do you think the nursery is ready?"

"I'm _not_ painting it another color. Again," Erik said at once, glancing at her with a firm frown. She chuckled in embarrassment.

"Well, after we found out it was a girl, we couldn't have a _blue_ room."

"You like blue," he reasoned.

"Yes, but it's traditionally for baby boys," she replied.

"Not all girls like pink."

Then the sawsbuck ran out into the road. With a curse, he tried to swerve, but they were too close. They hit the pokémon.

-.-.-

**Chapter Ten**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Clashing

-.-.-

"You're... pregnant?" Harry repeated faintly. Ree nodded. "A-And you're... bleeding?" she said in that same weak voice. Ree nodded again.

"You're _sure_ you're pregnant?" Kev asked, accent-free and all business. She wasn't sure how many times she'd have to nod, but she did again. "There's no chance that you're not?"

"I-I took a fuckton of tests. They all agreed. Besides, even if I wasn't—I shouldn't be having my period right now! _Yes_, I'm fucking pregnant, so this is sort of some serious shit!" she snarled at him.

"Calm down." She sniffled and turned back to Harry. She heard him take out his phone and dial something. "Yes—I'd like to report an emergency. A pregnant wo—girl, and she may be having problems. We're in the middle of Pinwheel Forest..."

Harry opened and closed her mouth a couple times. She couldn't find anything to say, so she resorted to rubbing Ree's back some more. Ree expected nothing less. It was an unfair surprise to spring upon her in the middle of the night, compounded by potential tragedy—_no, stop thinking of that_! Ree commanded herself. This was just... some sort of problem. Not miscarriage. Maybe it was all a bad dream.

"I need your pokédex," Kev said, covering the phone with his hand.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Either of you. I need to know our location." She pulled hers out of her backpack and tossed it to him.

They were in the middle of the largest forest in the region. No vehicles, no (large) flying pokémon, and certainly nothing that could teleport. She didn't know what to do, or why he was even reporting this. How could they get to a hospital? She'd heard of flying pokémon and helicopters picking up trainers in distress, but not in a thickly wooded area.

"They'll be here shortly," he said and handed Harry back her pokédex. He knelt down beside them, looking uncomfortable, and then placed a hand lightly on Ree's shoulder. "It'll be okay."

"I just..." She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do. Ree had started this stupid journey with something to prove, but if she had just done this to _herself_...

Harry jumped and squealed as suddenly, their clearing was flooded with light. Jackster woke up with a terrified whinny and bolted; the other pokémon woke up in similar levels of distress, but no one fled. "Jackster! Wait! Come back!"

"We received a report of a medical emergency," the man with the flashlight said. Ree gaped up at him. Then she noticed the little pokémon next to him, clinging nervously to his pant leg. Of course. Unova was the only region in the world that had control over teleportation, and the only region that could effectively utilize it for emergencies for its trainers.

Kev helped her to her feet. She wasn't aware of how unsteady she was until she fell against him for support. It wasn't pain, but panic. Harry came back, dragging Jackster by the scarf, and returned him quickly. "This is the girl."

"Pack your things and return your pokémon. There are only three of you?" the man said in that same authoritative voice. He was actually fairly scary, all bright light and goggles and dark uniform.

Kev led Ree back to her sleeping back and handed her pokeballs. She managed to return her pokémon, but that was about the extent of what she was capable of. She felt numbed, like she had been dunked in ice water, or that the world was moving too quickly for her. Medical emergency, the man had said. This was serious, but surely she couldn't have just lost—_stop_ _thinking about it!_

Harry, carrying both her and Ree's backpacks, grabbed her hand and led her over to the man. "I'm coming with her," she said firmly.

"I am, too," Kev said immediately after.

"Do you have any objections?" the man asked her, and she shook her head. "Physical contact is needed for this teleport," he explained, and then grabbed her shoulder in an iron grip. The world blacked out and swam for a moment, and next thing she knew, she was in a hospital lobby. "This is Castelia General Heart Hospital."

Next thing she knew, there were nurses and audino and everyone asking her questions. She was separated from Harry and Kev—she desperately grabbed back, for either of them—and her pokeballs were taken from her. She was handed a clipboard and asked to fill it out, all while they started doing tests. Taking her temperature, making her lie down, listening to her thundering heart.

She wasn't quite sure what anyone was doing. She was assured her pokémon were with her backpack, on a table in the corner of the hospital room she was eventually placed in, and that she would be able to see her friends again after some preliminary testing was done. There was a _lot_ of preliminary testing, however. She had blood drawn, filled out another form, asked when her last period was, and what she had eaten recently. After _someone_ decided she was dehydrated, she was given a glass of water and an IV, too.

It was all a blur of questions and concerned faces. She changed into a hospital gown and they confirmed, yes, she was bleeding, though not at the moment. Ree took another test, and then they confirmed, yes, she was pregnant, too. More tests followed, more questions, more panic.

-.-.-

"Ow!" Scott hissed, flinching. Vince whined apologetically. He sighed. At least he still had them all, though Rocio's circlet had been stolen. "I told you this would happen..."

"Scol?" she asked, gesturing to him.

"Okay, maybe not the arm in a sling and the bloody nose, but I said you'd lose it!"

Scott wasn't new to training. Not like Ree was. He knew the risks, and what _actually_ happened when unnumbered kids, teenagers, and adults roamed with super-powered animals at their disposal. Ree was thankfully with two people, and groups usually weren't as attacked as often, but he had a far stronger team than her.

"Gigalith," Vince said soothingly. He bit off the end of the bandage and Scott put the sling back on. Working with one hand was tough, but at least his pokémon could help him. He didn't think his arm was broken, but it hurt like a bitch.

"I hope she's okay," Scott mumbled as he stared into the fire. He was too shaken to sleep.

Yorick had just picked Ree's scent back up, and they had been following her. But then, a young woman had appeared and demanded his pokémon. Scott, naturally, told her where she should put that knife she was holding. But he wasn't the only one with pokémon, and it had quickly fallen into a fight, and _damn_, he got his ass handed to him by a girl. Ree could just about beat him in a fistfight, sure, but she was different.

The woman had been scared off when Rocio caught up with them, but not after nearly making off with Barbeque and definitely making off with Rocio's trophy. Scott had ended up with a bloody nose and a sore arm.

"Auburn hair, chin-length, light blue or gray eyes. Medium, athletic build... Goddamn I'm bad at describing people." He wasn't worried about reporting her—hell, half of trainers never did report such crimes if they got away safely—but he didn't like all of the paperwork that came with it. More often than not, these sorts of things led nowhere. She seemed like she was a professional at thieving, and with the underground so strong lately, he really doubted she'd simply be apprehended because he mentioned she had assaulted him in Pinwheel Forest.

He sniffed and then spat out a mouthful of blood. His nose had stopped bleeding, but a lot of it had dried uncomfortably on his face. Yorick, as if sensing this, came over and licked it off, making his trainer yelp.

"That's gross! C'mon, Yorick, stop it!"

"Kroo?" Nigel asked, slithering out of the shadows. "Krook-dile."

"Then where is she?" Still with his arms around his stoutland, Scott frowned. He didn't know why Ree was fleeing from him, but he didn't want her in this forest with that woman on the loose. She'd make a much easier target, even with other people around her.

He sniffed again and wiped his nose. They could pick up her scent again in the morning. He wasn't going to be getting much sleep, he could tell, but there was no reason he should sit uncomfortably and stare at the fire all night. He returned Barbeque and Rocio, but left his other three out. Even if Yorick and Vince weren't nocturnal, he knew they'd stay up for him. And he wanted the company.

-.-.-

Ree managed to sleep a little at about four in the morning. She had gotten some answers, and things weren't as bad as she had feared. But they did complicate things. Greatly.

About eight in the morning, she was woken up by Harry. Ree blinked blearily up at her. Her arm itched from the IV and she felt sluggish, and most of all, she wanted _sleep_. But apparently, telling your friend that you and the baby weren't in dire health came first. "R-Ree," Harry said bravely, but her eyes were shining with tears. "Are you alright?"

She sat up and rubbed her head. "Tired as fuck and cranky at people poking me in various places, but I'm okay."

"And...?" And the baby? That was so weird to think about. Her stomach was flat and it couldn't be larger than a finger or something. The doctor had told her it was small, anyway.

"Fine." The younger girl sagged in relief. She had dark circles under her eyes and looked a mess. She was still wearing her pajama pants. "Apparently, some bleeding is normal during pregnancy, but I was a little dehydrated, so that sorta made things worse. I don't know. All I know is that they've been giving me a shitload of fluids, tons of vitamins, and judgmental looks."

"You're both okay?" It came out as more of a question, so Ree nodded. "Oh, thank goodness... We were so, so worried." She had known Harry for a couple weeks, and Kev for a couple days. And they were worried. Trainer friendship was weird, though she did wake them up crying and bleeding in the middle of the night.

"They're going to have a 'serious talk' with me about my health, but they're not worried at this stage, so yeah. Everything's okay again." Except that Harry and Kev both knew, as well as half the hospital, it seemed. Things wouldn't be the same again. Ree was once more reminded that her life choices were not the wisest. "They're putting me on prenatal vitamins as well as some sort of trainer vitamin, since I'm not quitting. They want me to, though."

"Ree, you're pregnant. Why would you want to become a trainer right now?" Harry asked seriously.

"It's not as if I'm keeping this. I figure with all this attention, I can get some answers about adoption and stuff."

"You still have what, eight more months? You can't go out adventuring with a baby! There are dangers out there!"

"I'm athletic, so they said I can continue doing active things like, well, adventuring. My body's used to it. And I thought, since it's still so small, it'd be okay..." Boy, had she been proven wrong. The doctor had all but yelled at her—the first couple months were the most vital, since all of the major organ systems were still forming, and it could be easily damaged, and she was being irresponsible, and it was about that time that she tuned him out. It was one thing to get advice, and quite another to get lectured.

"What if you fall down? What if... Wh-What if you _do_ miscarry, Ree?" she asked in a whisper.

"I won't. I'm not going to be running headlong into danger. I'm not the first one in the world to have done this. How do you think they did it forever ago before hospitals and pokeballs? They did it then and I will now," she replied stubbornly.

"Training isn't just a whim! Sophia or I-I can't always protect you!"

"I can handle myself! I have four pokémon now, don't I? I've gotten into fights before, and I'm bigger than you are."

"_Why_ do you want to do this?" Harry begged, looking suspiciously watery-eyed again.

"I have to prove something. I have to prove that I'm not just a screw-up, that I did something useful other than get knocked up. I'm not going for the elite four or the championship. I just want eight badges, and I'm two down. I could even finish early!" She wasn't sure what she'd do if she finished too early, but she doubted she would. She had a fantasy of waddling into the eighth gym, nice and pregnant, get the badge, and have only a couple of days of wondering what the hell to do now before having the thing and giving it to someone else.

"But... You could..."

"You could die, too, you know! Anyone could die, so it's not as if I'm the only one in danger in the entire fucking world!" she snapped, and then instantly regretted it from the way she recoiled. "Shit, I'm sorry... I just don't want to be lectured. Judged. Whatever. I'll be more careful from now on, I promise, but I don't want to quit this. I've quit everything else in my life, did whatever I wanted, but I want to do this now, and stick with it. ...Besides! My pokémon are practically children, the way they act. It's practice!"

"I thought you were going to give it up for adoption?"

"...Well, it's the thought that counts."

She got just a short nap in before one of the doctors from the night before came back in. Harry had left to check on Kev, who she'd left sleeping in the lobby; they had been taking turns throughout the night. Ree glared at the tall woman, sleepily, but sour. "Well, miss Majors, you gave the night staff quite a scare. It's not often a teenager comes in thinking she's miscarrying," she said simply, sitting down by her bed.

"It's not often I think that, either," she replied dryly. Oh joy of joys, more lecturing.

"Trainer and prenatal vitamins are both sold in general stores. Continue taking them throughout the pregnancy," the woman continued, suspiciously un-lecture-y. She consulted a clipboard. "We would like you to have visits with the doctor, but since you'll be moving... I can give you referrals, but we would still like you to visit a doctor, for your health and the baby's, every month or so. Just to make sure things are progressing smoothly."

"I... Uh, okay." Ree wasn't sure what to think, now. She had been bracing herself. But now, she felt like she'd just fallen flat on her face.

"We can release you today, provided nothing else happens in the coming hours. The main source of your bleeding last night was dehydration, so allow me to reiterate: stay hydrated. Drink frequently, especially since the weather is still warm, and if you insist on doing this, I would suggest investing in a water pokémon for such purposes. Be careful of what you eat, especially when preparing and ingesting meat. There has been a rash of disease among petilil, so I suggest staying away from them entirely for the time being."

"You're... not going to lecture me?"

The woman looked at her over the rim of her glasses, gaze sharp. "Do you _want_ me to?" Ree quickly shook her head. "Then I believe this has been a lesson on its own. I believe in scare tactics. You _will_ take your vitamins, you _will _check in at appointments, and if you do anything more tragically stupid than becoming a trainer when newly pregnant, I will lecture you then."

Ree wasn't sure if she liked or disliked her doctor. She may have been mildly scared of her. She decided she was definitely scared of her when she smiled warmly at her. "I, uh, thank you?" she squeaked, wishing she could hide behind a pillow.

"Actually... To decrease your stress during this period, I think I'll stay your doctor. Since you seem to be slightly terrified of being lectured for your life choices," the woman said thoughtfully, tapping the pen on her lip.

"But I'll be traveling. I won't be staying in Castelia too long."

"I'm quite capable of traveling as well, and I have meant to visit a couple other staff members at various hospitals. It's so rare to see a pregnant trainer these days. It's vital for medical professionals to do all they can to protect and save lives, and I don't want to restrict your freedom or harm the baby." For one briefly horrifying moment, Ree pictured the woman actually traveling around with her. "You'll be taking the traditional trainer route, correct?"

"Uh, yeah."

"I can work with that. I'll just blackmail Leland into letting me travel for the next couple months... Anyway, miss Majors, I have your phone number in my records, and mine is on my business card. I would like to see you again in three weeks." Ree was left alone again, looking down at the business card in her hands. At least she hadn't been lectured, and there was no talk of reporting this to her parents. She was legally old enough not to have them tattle on her, but she had been worried for awhile.

Still, she didn't know what to make of miss Lenore Coracks, her new baby doctor.

-.-.-

"So... I'm out of the hospital." Harry looked up at her with watery eyes again. Kev kept his expression neutral. Ree shrugged, slipping her backpack on, and then marched towards the doors like nothing had ever happened. She almost made it before Harry attached herself to her back.

"We were so worried!"

"It was certainly a surprise."

"Well, I'm fine now, and I have to go pick up some vitamins. And I don't know about you guys, but I haven't eaten properly since last night. My pokémon, too, so oh god, I am _really_ fucking hungry," Ree fielded, pulling at the door to try to get away from Harry. "...Wait, where's Sophia?"

Kev produced the baseball bat from where it had been half-sticking out of his own backpack. Ree took it from him with a happy squeal, rubbing her cheek against the bat. "Nice priorities." So he was mad, and Harry was still worried. She sighed.

"I'm fine now. Just hungry. We got a free ticket to Castelia, so if you're that grumpy with me, you can just leave," she grumbled, striding out into the Castelia afternoon. She breathed in deeply. Much more polluted than the forest air, but it was familiar and human. To think, this was the closest she had been to her home since she had started. She was less than an hour away by car.

"I don't have any place to stay, and I don't have a trainer's license. Harry had said it was okay to stay with you both at the pokémon center until I find a place of my own," he said coolly. Ree glanced back at Harry, and she nodded in agreement.

"It'll beat the hospital, but do pokémon centers allow that? Dudes and dudettes sharing a room?"

"This isn't Johto, Ree. Of course they do," Harry said with a nervous giggle. "I already called over and reserved us a room. I wasn't sure how long, um... A week, I booked us for a week. U-Uh, you're from around here, aren't you? Maybe, if we have some extra time, you could show us some of the sights, a-and I'm rambling. One of you, speak up, please."

"I'm just hungry."

"I don't mind eating."

She didn't understand _why_ Kev was mad exactly, but Harry was playing nice for them both, so Ree didn't feel like starting an argument. It took a little while of wandering before Ree could situate herself, but once she did, she led them to a nice restaurant that her family often visited when they were in the city. Half of the restaurant was a sort of outdoor cafe sandwiched between the inside of it and the building next to it, which was where the trainers and their pokémon ate. Ree had always eaten inside, so being outside was a little novel. But now that she looked around, it seemed that most restaurants that were friendly towards pokémon had outdoor sections for larger pokémon.

It was after they got some water and they released their pokémon that she realized that the last time she had seen hers was when she had been bleeding and crying the night before. She soon got a pokémon pile on her, tipping her chair over. Harry giggled. "Eek, sorry guys. Ow, get off."

"They seem worried, too," Kev said pointedly.

"Vee-vee, snivy-snivy vee?" Whippy cried, patting down her stomach, and then moving up to her cheeks, squishing her face in his claws. He was also standing uncomfortably on her boobs.

"I'm _fine_. I'll tell you all about it when we're back in the room tonight, but know that the, um, egg and I are fine." He let out a great sigh of relief and hopped onto the table. He took a long sip of Ree's drink, and then pushed it towards her. "Gee, thanks."

"A lot of his behavior towards you seems... It makes more sense, I suppose, now that I, um, know," Harry remarked. "He's very protective of you."

"They all are. Mitzi aside, since we haven't gotten the opportunity to see much of her," Kev agreed. "But pokémon are supposed to be loyal, and trainers loyal to their teams. The foundation of our society is built upon this relationship."

"A little philosophy before dinner, hmm?" Ree asked and he rolled his eyes. She moodily grabbed the menu and began the laborious process of figuring out what the hell her pokémon wanted. Harry seemed to know her pokémon's tastes well enough to order for them, and she didn't see Kev having lengthy discussions with Visoka, either. Red-faced, Ree ducked behind her menu and continued reading aloud. Just because she was a newbie... She had to level up, and fast. She had a certain amount of trust with her team, but Mitzi would have to be worked on. Whippy still needed to evolve, and eventually Harper would, too. She was pretty sure minccino evolved at some point as well.

Nearly twenty minutes later, she had her team's meals figured out through miming and nodding, and they placed their order. Ree stared at the minccino near the leg of her chair. They had various smaller tables and platforms around the outside area for pokémon to eat at, one of which Jackster had shyly dragged over, but Mitzi seemed perfectly content staying near Ree on the ground. Whippy and Harper were also sticking close, though she wasn't sure she'd allow them to eat on the table. It was getting a little crowded for such things to continue for much longer.

Lala was chatting with Jackster, though it was a little one-sided. Ree recalled that she had been a little upset over something the night before. That would have to be dealt with, they would have to assimilate Mitzi into the team, and they would have to train up for their third gym badge. It was both a blessing and a curse to have gotten through the rest of Pinwheel with that teleport, since they gained time but lost valuable training.

But Castelia City was Unova's largest city, so surely there would be plentiful trainers to battle. In fact, Ree remembered being challenged in various past shopping trips, only to inform them that she wasn't a trainer. They were ahead of schedule, even with time set aside for an intense training regimen. She remembered what the doctor had told her. It was the beginning of September, and the baby would be due at the beginning of May. She had eight months.

Their food arrived and the trainers distributed it amongst their pokémon. Whatever Kev had gotten smelled deliciously spicy and aromatic, but the doctors had advised Ree to stick to milder foods while her body adjusted to the pregnancy and vitamins. Speaking of which—Ree hastily bent down and stole Whippy's dish. He whined, looking at her with large, betrayed eyes, and she quickly dug his medicine out from her bag. She stuck a couple of the tablets into gravy and then set it back down for him.

"Don't look at me that way, you need your medicine," she said firmly. He gave her a look that clearly told her she wasn't being sneaky, but he would eat it anyway. She made sure he did.

The meal was delicious and comfortable, but silent. Every so often, she'd glance up at her two companions. They'd been worried about her and hadn't signed up to travel with a pregnant girl, sure. But she didn't see how it really changed much. Still, the silence was gnawing at her.

"So, uh, I'd like to do some quick shopping tonight," she said awkwardly, stabbing at some sort of vegetable on her plate.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Well, I sort of ruined a pair of underwear and my only pajama pants, and I'm pretty sure the nurses just tossed the clothes I'd been wearing last night. At least, I haven't seen any of it in my backpack. I need some new pajamas, since sleeping in jeans is hella uncomfortable. And Whippy chewed a hole through a sock at some point recently, so I just need to restock on some clothing items in general."

"Oh!" Harry sat bolt upright with a loud gasp, making the other two jump as well. "Oh my gosh, Ree, I can make you baby clothes! I-I can make tiny socks, and hats, and I made you a scarf!" She dug around in her bag and thrust a bundle of forest green and navy at her. Ree stared down at it, trying to process her rapid speech. "I had a little bit of it started, but this is for you! I made it last night when we were waiting. I-I don't know what sort of colors you like, I'm sorry, but I had these on hand and wanted to finish up the last of my blue... But I'll pick up some new colors tomorrow, and I can knit little baby hats, and socks, and I can try more sweaters..."

"Woah, uh, Harry. Wow. Thanks." The weather hadn't started to cool yet, but it wasn't like she had thought to bring a scarf with her. "Though I really only need one. And the baby's due in May, so it'll be plenty hot out by then..."

Harry paused, thinking on this. They could see the excitement slowly drain out of her. Kev hastily interceded. "You could always make them for the child for its first winter, or you could make them for mother dearest herself."

"Don't call me that, and I'm not keeping the thing. It's going up for adoption first chance I get," Ree said irritably, stuffing the scarf in her backpack.

Then she realized her mistake when she saw Harry's crestfallen expression.

"Y-You could—uh, fuck—here!" She reached down and pulled Whippy away from his meal, holding him out to her. "He's small! Make him a scarf or socks or something! Well, he'll lose his limbs as he evolves, but think of how long you could make the scarf!" He blanched and looked back at her in horror, then down at his little claws. "Mitzi's small, too! My whole team is small and are in desperate need of scarves!"

"Visoka has been rather cold during the Unovan winters, too," Kev agreed.

"Y-You guys... I don't need to be babied. I was just... I've never made baby clothes before, and I guess I got a little carried away. I'm sorry. There's a big store of materials here in Castelia, too, and I was a little excited when I remembered that." She waved them off, smiling mareepishly.

"We can stop there tomorrow!" Ree insisted at once. "You can pick up all the yarn and shit your heart desires."

They decided to postpone the shopping until tomorrow, and do it all at once that way. The yarn store had already closed for the evening. They did stop by a small pharmacy near the pokémon center for her vitamins, however, and Ree read the label as they walked back to their room. One prenatal one a day, one of the generic trainer one a day. Combined with Whippy's stuff, she may as well haul a medicine cabinet around.

"You can borrow some of my pants for pajamas," Kev offered. It seemed as if he was a little warmer than he'd been earlier, but Ree shook her head.

"Nah. They said I could bleed again during the pregnancy, and I know how boys get squeamish with girly blood," she replied. He rolled his eyes. Ree popped her pills, took off her socks, and looked at the beds. It was a pair of bunk beds, but Castelia had such a huge center anyway, they allowed three to a four-person room. Someone would still have to get pushed to a top bunk, though. "...I'm pregnant. I'm sleeping wherever the fuck I want."

Kev and Harry looked at each other. "...I'm the oldest," he said after a beat.

"I'm the lady. Um, other lady." It seemed as if Ree's antagonism was catching on. Ree grabbed her things—and the nearest of her pokémon, Mitzi—and tossed them onto one of the bottom bunks. The minccino squealed at the surprise move, already half-hidden by the blankets.

Ree grimaced and started hauling her other pokémon into bed with her. The room was large enough that they could sleep with their teams out, something she was beginning to be thankful for. Not only did the pokémon normally act as a buffer for the unusually tense relations between their trainers, but Ree was starting to realize just how dependent she would get on her team. Kev would be leaving in a couple days, and who knew how long Harry would stick around. They were good people, but this was Ree's journey. Her journey with her pokémon.

"Hate sleeping in jeans," she grumbled, leaning down under the bed to pull Whippy out.

"I told you, you can borrow something of mine!" Kev said. She glanced back at them; Harry was triumphantly making a nest of the bottom bunk, Jackster laying on the foot of the bed.

"No." She didn't even know _why_ she felt so snotty. To be fair, he started it. What with his foreign attitude and weird pokémon and then getting mad at her just because she hadn't wanted to proclaim her problem to the heavens. Maybe it was pregnancy hormones finally kicking in. Oh, wouldn't _that_ be fun.

"Si-si-si," Lala snickered and clambered up onto the top bunk.

"Lala, where are you going?"

"Whimsi."

"Why are you sleeping up there? Don't you want to snuggle?" Ree called, betrayed.

Lala leaned over the edge, her fluff falling around her face like hair. She leveled a flat look at her trainer. "Whimsi-_cott_," she said with a point at Whippy. He was curled up next to Mitzi, both of them near Ree's stomach, and they were both perfectly content to ignore the whimsicott.

"Oh, come on! You'll like Mitzi! Just give this teammate thing a chance!"

"Scott," Lala sang and went back up to the bed. Harper chirped, confusion in the note, and then butted her head gently against Ree's cheek, turning her back towards the pair near her tummy.

Whippy licked Mitzi on the cheek, and she responded with a happy little squeak and a nuzzle into his neck. Ree stared at them both.

Then she bolted upright—and hit her head on the bunk above her. Swearing colorfully and clutching her head, she glared at them both with watery eyes. "Whippy, you—_that's_ why you wanted to save her? You jackass, you could've told me you'd be starting new teammate drama! Now Lala won't sleep down here!"

Lala gave an outraged cry from above and Harper laughed quietly. Ree didn't understand what was so funny. Maybe it was a pokémon thing. Whippy frowned and Mitzi shrank back a bit. "Vee-vee, snivy-snivy! Sni," he said and gestured at Mitzi.

"...Min," she added softly.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked cautiously. Ree nodded and rubbed her head again. That stung. Head trauma and pregnancy problems. She was on a roll. "I think it's sweet," she volunteered.

"They just met!"

"Pokémon aren't human, and they don't follow human rules. Don't expect them to. The sooner you realize this, the better off you'll be," Kev advised dryly. Harry nodded, albeit meekly, in agreement.

Ree crossed her arms with a huff. "Well... Don't you get her knocked up too! Actually—no, ugh, _eww_. I'm not giving the talk to my starter, goddamnit. No mushy stuff in front of me. Don't exclude Lala or make any of us sick with too much sweetness," she said sternly, wagging her finger at the pair. Whippy nodded, and Mitzi just looked embarrassed. "And you're still injured, mister. No... shenanigans. Behave. Lala, will you come back down here now?"

"Scott."

"Whatever. I'm tired. Tomorrow, shopping, and I wanna work on battling. Mitzi, you're gonna pull your weight, and Whippy has to hurry up and evolve..." Harper settled into her customary position near Ree's head. She could feel Whippy and Mitzi curl up together, a soft pressure against her stomach. Above her, Lala was silent.

"Goodnight, Ree. Sleep well," Harry murmured and Jackster even gave an accompanying whinny. Kev mumbled something. Her team's dynamic wouldn't be the only thing that needed to be worked on tomorrow. Ree sighed heavily. Why couldn't this have been as easy as she had hoped?

-.-.-

Scott settled in for another night. His arm was still a little sore, but he was more worried about Ree. He hadn't seen hide nor hair of her all day; Yorick, while he could pick up her scent, couldn't actually _follow_ it anywhere. They found what looked to be a camp, but it was like they had never left it. Which was impossible, unless they had been abducted by a large bird or aliens or something. But Pinwheel Forest didn't house many large birds, just because it was so dense...

"What has she gotten herself into?" he groaned, kicking a small rock into the fire.

"Gi-gigalith," Vince said reassuringly.

"I know, but I still worry. People don't just disappear. That's conspiracy stuff, aliens or government or something. Which is bullshit, so they had to have gotten some way to hide their scent, but ugh! _Why_ is she even running from me?" he burst out and fell onto his back, glaring at the branches and foliage obscuring his view of the stars.

"Scoli?" Rocio suggested as she laid down beside him. She set a sleeping Barbeque on her trainer's stomach, making him wheeze and push the heavy darumaka off. Barbeque didn't wake, only fall over.

"How can something so small be so heavy," he gasped, rubbing his poor, abused belly. "Tomorrow... Since they're already out of Nacrene, she must've gotten her badge. They're headed to Castelia, so we may as well head there ourselves. We can still head her off."

"Scoli-pede," Rocio muttered.

"Of _course_ we're going after her. She's my girlfriend!"

"Kroo!"

"I thought you were going off to terrorize the night," Scott snapped at his krookodile. The dark pokémon laughed and slunk back off into the darkness. "Guys, I'm sorry, but we're finding Ree. This hasn't been too tough on any of you yet, crazy girl aside, and now that we're back out, I think you needed the exercise."

Rocio dropped Barbeque on his chest again. Scott, fighting to get his breath back, pushed the darumaka off one more time, giving his scolipede a glare.

"Giga," Vince said, breaking them up, and laid down near Scott's head. He set his head on his crossed front legs and closed his eyes. "Lith!"

"Yeah... Goodnight guys."

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Well, that wasn't _so_ bad. Could've been worse! Sure, it changed things, but nothing Ree Majors can't handle! Plus, she has a familiar city, battling, and shopping to look forward to! Scott follows along in her wake, still irate and confused at her sudden disappearance, and a little more skittish about the dangers of training. But surely a big city is safer for such things. ...Right?


	11. Of Tempers Being Lost

Ree startled awake as her phone rang. It took her a sleepy moment to recognize Maya's ringtone, but when she did, she snatched it up and flipped it open with a quick, "Hello?"

"R-Ree..." Maya sounded strange. She sniffed; Ree's heart skipped a beat when she realized her little sister was crying.

"Maya? What's wrong?"

"Ree, I-I don't know what to do..." she said weakly, breath crackling over the bad connection. She gave a dry sob. "I-I was—there was this girl and—Bo's bl-bleeding so bad..."

"What?" Ree asked dumbly. Bo was her sister's snivy, the cute, haughty little thing that she'd finally gotten to listen to her. Her only pokémon. "Maya, take a deep breath, okay? Tell me what happened."

She sniffled again. "There was this girl, a-and I thought she was lost, because she looked lost, and she had this weird accent. But she pulled a knife on us and demanded my money and my backpack... We got into a f-fight, but she had a _quilava_! I-It wasn't fair, I hadn't expected a fire pokémon, and Bo got hurt, and it hurt him, and then she was going to cut me, and—" She dissolved into tears.

Ree was already on her feet, pulling a sweater over her pajamas. The sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, giving everything outside her window a washed-out look. "Maya, calm down. You're okay, right?" She got some sort of wet mumble that she couldn't decipher. "You—you stay there, okay?"

"Ree, I'm in the middle of nowhere, you can't come get me," she scoffed, sounding marginally braver. "I-I'm fine, just so scared, and Bo's the hurt one! I-I don't even know why I called you..."

She clumped down the stairs in her boots and ran out into the dawn. The police station was just a couple blocks away, and she was a fast runner. "Well—what do you have with you?"

"My phone and his pokeball were in my pocket, and she took everything else."

"Just sit tight, okay? I'm getting help."

"Ree, you're so far away from me now. Why couldn't you have continued your journey? You could have come with me," Maya whispered. Ree felt a pang of guilt. She _could _have been with her sister. She could've been there to protect her. She would've kicked that thief's ass.

Instead, she was miles and miles away, in her pajamas, and couldn't be there for her scared sister. Ree burst into the police station, an older woman behind the desk jumping at her loud entrance. Ree slammed her phone down at the desk. "My sister's just been robbed, so get your asses and your pokémon's asses over there to save her!" She could try and do something, at least.

-.-.-

**Chapter Eleven**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Tempers Being Lost

-.-.-

Ree woke up badly, and for two distinctly unpleasant reasons—the television was too loud, and she was unbearably horny. She was fairly certain she'd had a dream, and was just as certain she knew what it had been about, but its exact contents were already fading from memory. She cracked an eye open and found Whippy, Lala, and Mitzi all crowded around the TV, snouts inches from the screen.

"Don't sit so close! You'll go blind," she croaked and her pokémon guiltily jumped away.

"Oh! You're awake," Harry said cheerily. Ree wished she wasn't. She was warm in bed, if uncomfortable, and she wished she could go back to whatever dream she'd been having. It probably involved a hot actor, or maybe Scott... "Sorry, they just seem to be excited about this show. I didn't know your pokémon liked _My Little Ponyta_!"

"They just like the moving colors on the screen," she grumbled.

"It's a cute show. I've watched a couple episodes whenever I can catch it."

Now that they were all aware she was awake, it seemed as if no one was trying to be quiet anymore. The TV was still loud, and Harry and Kev were having some inane conversation about different types of yarn. Ree curled up and rolled over. Sleep, sleep, dreams, hot dreams about crazy sex... No, none of it was coming back to her. Normally she could call up Scott for a booty call, but that was out of the question. Sex in general was out of the question.

It was at that precise moment that Ree Majors realized she wouldn't be getting any for the next eight months.

"_Fuck_!" Ree sat up in bed, disturbing Harper—and hit her head on the bunk above her. Again. Swearing incoherently and clutching her poor skull, she could only curse the fates and gods and whoever decided to get her knocked up. Who gave pregnant women horny hormones, anyway? Well, normal pregnant ladies could probably get it on with their dudes as they wanted, provided he was cool with it, too, but she didn't have that luxury.

She rolled out of bed, nearly taking Harper with her, and stormed into the bathroom. She kicked Kev out, toothbrush and all. "Hey!"

"I'm taking a long shower, and don't just sit there and look all disheveled and hot! Those fucking ponies had better be done with by the time I'm done!" Ree all but shouted and slammed the door. She would take a long, hot shower, relax, and try to rationalize this out. It wasn't as if she was a nympho (...hopefully), but she enjoyed sex with a certain amount of regularity. That probably got her into this mess, but it had been fun at the time.

But now... Ree fought with her jeans, though she felt a little better when she didn't find any blood in her panties this time around. She nearly tore her shirt getting it off. No sex for eight more months. Sure, she could always do it herself, but it wasn't the same, and it certainly wouldn't be the same if she was out in the middle of a fucking forest.

This... This was all Scott's fault, she decided. He was the one who did this to her. He was in the same boat. But goddamnit, Ree was set on hating him for this revelation.

Many miles away, a sleepy blond boy sneezed.

-.-.-

The warm water ran out just as she was finishing her shower. She was glad to have beaten it, but it still left her in a dark mood. It wasn't even nine in the morning, either! They had woken her up _early_, and her body had made her horny. The world surely hated her.

Kev seemed to be exceedingly wary of her after that. Thankfully, the colorful cartoon was over, and while the TV was still on, it was just the morning news. It didn't look as if it was anything interesting, either. Turmoil in Sinnoh and Hoenn, Johto was having some sort of major cultural festival in spite of food riots, and there was a sports competition in Nimbasa. Ree found it weird to have those sorts of stories juxtaposed, but whatever. Now that Maya was back home, she didn't care for foreign politics.

Although she did catch Kev watching avidly during the Hoenn portion. Something about wild pokémon acting more aggressive lately, with some scary statistics, but nothing all that specific.

They hurried to get breakfast before the mess hall closed. She noticed Whippy sharing pancakes with Mitzi, which admittedly was sort of cute, but Ree still wasn't quite sure how to handle this development. It created a strong bond with him, sure—provided the romance didn't fizzle out later on—but she wasn't sure how her other two girls were getting along. Harper, as usual, seemed coolly indifferent, but Lala...

"Hey," Ree said around a mouthful of strawberries, nudging Whippy with her shoe. He jumped and looked up at her. "You're the only dude, and you're already perving on one of your teammates. Come to think of it... You did act weird around Lala for awhile. Don't tell me they gave me a lady's man."

He stuck out his chest with a proud hiss. Ree's forehead made contact with the table.

"You got a fucking harem, and you _know_ that. Great." He wiggled up onto the table and patted her belly with his tail. "Yeah, and you're my baby daddy. Just make sure this is the _only_ egg that's resulting from this journey, okay?"

As he hopped back down, smirking suavely at Mitzi and making her titter and hide her face with her bushy tail, Ree was aware of her two companions staring at her. ...Maybe she was doing this 'training' thing weird. "Are you aware of how that statement sounds in public?" Kev asked worriedly.

"It's—it's nothing? _He's_ the one with the harem, not me!"

"Stop catching female pokémon, then, though pokémon gender has never stopped people from—"

"Eww!" Harry thankfully broke in. "We're not talking about bestiality at breakfast!" Unfortunately, her exclamation only drew more looks from around them. Her face soon matched her hair and she sunk low into her chair with a frown.

"I see Unova is touchy about this subject," Kev remarked mildly.

"It's kinda fucking _sick_, to be fair," Ree replied, pointing her spoon at him.

He shrugged. "During the attempted Magma takeover, there were some problems with such things, among the other crimes committed. While they're atrocities to be sure, they're... not unknown to me."

"I'm sure it happens everywhere, like any thing."

"But to play the devil's advocate, and in the interest of seeing your responses, there are consensual and willing examples—"

"We are _not_ talking about this!" Harry squeaked, and that was the end of that. Which was a good thing, since the discussion was beginning to upset Ree's stomach.

No, wait, that was morning sickness.

Lala was not pleased at being thrown up on _twice_ in the few short weeks they'd been together.

"Well, now we can take her to a groomer! There's, um, actually one connected to the yarn store I wanted to visit today!" Harry chattered nervously. Ree, on her knees, scrubbed furiously to get the mess out of all of Lala's fluff. They had _almost_ gotten it back to a normal growing pattern, so she would be damned if she had to shear her again. Lala, as disgusted as she was, agreed with this sentiment.

"It's okay, Lala baby, you can blame Kev for being such an asshole," Ree cooed, much to the man's irritation. The whimsicott nodded firmly.

"I enjoy mature, intelligent discussions, be they about crime or sunshine and rainbows. You don't strike me as the type of girl to have delicate sensibilities, anyway," he snorted.

"Well—fuck you. I'm pregnant. I do what I want. Come on, out!" She picked up Lala and placed her into the waiting towel Harry had ready. They couldn't quite get her completely dry due to the sheer volume of cottony fluff, and none of them had a hair dryer, but a trip to the groomer sounded fair enough. At least it was still warm out.

Out in the air and crowds, Harry livened up considerably. Or perhaps it was the fact that they were going to this now-infamous yarn store. "Oh my gosh, it's just so cool! The prices are very reasonable, and they'll groom pokémon for free if they can get material for any of the things they carry! I mean, they sell a lot more than yarn, but their knitting section is just so amazing!" And she was _squealing_, too. Ree couldn't help but be impressed by her enthusiasm.

"Well, they can take what they want off Lala if it means her fluff will stop growing like a weed."

"They get a lot of whimsicott in there, and cottonee, especially with the forest so close. Sometimes, I've heard they pay trainers to go out and catch them, and then they belong to the store. They're treated really well, and one time, I think it was last year, I saw a _mareep_ in there!" Harry gushed, twirling around to face Kev and Ree, walking backwards in the process. "Have you ever seen a mareep?" Ree shook her head, and Kev nodded. "They're so cute! Oh, one day..."

"You want one?" Ree asked in surprise.

"Oh, yes. I've thought about getting a whimsicott myself, but... I like dealing with mareep wool better, truth be told," she said mareepishly. "They're just so precious and cute! I've been trying to set aside little bits of what I make selling my things to save up to buy one from a breeder, but with the economy like this ever since Team Plasma... It'll be awhile."

"You could try buying one from out of the country," Kev suggested.

"Yes, but getting it over here would be just as expensive, and I would need different licenses. I've done the math," she beamed. "But come on! We're almost—oof!" Somewhat predictably, she managed to walk backwards right into someone while turning the corner. Harry stumbled, but Kev caught her. "I-I'm sorry!"

The young man, long brown hair tied back in a ponytail, rubbed his chest with a gloved hand. "Ow, a little exuberant, love? Please watch where you're going from now on."

Ree's mind crashed to a halt at the conspicuously foreign accent. Beside her, Harry was placed in a similar situation by a cute male calling her 'love'. Kev was under no such conditions. "You!" he cried after a beat. The boy looked around, then pointed up at himself with a confused frown. "Ah, I'm sorry—you're a breeder, aren't you? I think I bought my spoink from you..."

"A spoink in Unova? I haven't—"

"No, in Hoenn. Four years ago—I'm sorry, I must sound like a stalker or something. Your accent, it's very striking. I remember you, though you were much..." Kev put his hand down lower. "Shorter."

"I remember you!" he said at once, green eyes lighting up. "You were my first sale in Hoenn! Oh, I was a little kid at the time, I probably ripped you off, I'm so sorry!" With some self-depreciating chuckling, he stuck out his hand and shook Kev's firmly. The girls were officially left by the wayside. Ree was still struggling to understand him, let alone the fact that the only two foreigners she had met on this journey apparently knew each other.

"H-Hey," she said weakly, trying to cut across their pleasant chatter. They paid her no heed. "Hey! Fucktards! Are you just inviting outsiders into our country now, or are you going to tell us who this thing is?"

"Thing?" the brunette echoed blankly.

"This charming creature is Ree. The more tolerable of the pair beside her is Harry, and these have been my traveling companions for the past couple days," Kev deadpanned, clearly unimpressed with her display of dominance.

"You're not from around here," Ree declared.

The stranger nodded, still clearly confused by her attitude. "I'm from Johto."

"That's not a Johto accent."

"I'm surprised you can pick that out," Kev commented and she shot him a dirty look.

"Okay, you have to admit, this is more than a little creepy! We pick you up—"

"After you got me fired."

"—and just a couple days later, you find him! I mean, the odds are—wait, fuck, _what_. You're from Johto, but you were in Hoenn, to sell him his thing, and now you're in Unova."

"If it helps your mental processes, I just got out of the mess in Sinnoh," he said. He'd recovered from the initial shock of Ree's tone, but she could tell when she was being made fun of.

"Look, I've lived an hour from here for most of my life, and I've _never_ come across two people from two different regions who _know_ each other in the same week! And you, stop talking so fast! I can hardly understand you."

"Oh, she's cute. Where did you find her... I'm sorry, I still haven't placed your name." The newcomer squinted, tilting his head to one side. Kev took a step back, clearly uncomfortable with the sudden scrutiny. Ree, still lost and mad at being lost, glared at them both until one of them addressed her very reasonable concerns. "You... really look like someone I know. He was from Hoenn, too. Can you do me a favor and smile?"

"Okay, we're leaving the crazy person now!" Ree decided and grabbed Harry before this got any more out of hand. She wasn't used to not being the center of attention honestly, or at least a competing force. Especially since her secret had been discovered. Kev was on his own, but she was surprised to find he was fleeing the situation just as readily.

"Hey, wait! I'm sorry—you just—do you have a younger brother?"

Kev rounded on him with something like panic. Ree slowed, turning back to watch this development. Maybe she could learn something about the foreigner they were traveling with. "Please do not say unreasonable things in the middle of a crowded place," he said lowly.

The boy stared up at him for a long moment, then averted his gaze. He nodded. "I see. I'm sorry, I didn't realize the atmosphere here is so... unwelcome."

"Hey! We're not racists and we're not starting that again!" Ree barked at once.

"You seem to have a few opinions on me not being a native, though," the boy pointed out in reply. He fished around in his pocket and pulled out a few different cards. "I have valid licenses, if that's what you're so concerned about."

"You have quite a few," Kev said in awe.

"I try to keep active cards for the countries I do business in. And I must admit, Unova is very profitable once the initial fees are out of the way."

"H-How much would a mareep be?" Harry piped up, successfully diffusing the situation by sheer force of meekness.

-.-.-

It looked like she was still ignoring him. Scott sighed and slid his phone shut. She hadn't answered a call for days, but he had gotten a couple texts in after she had hung up on him. But she wasn't answering those now, either—at least not for the past couple days. Ever since she had narrowly escaped him.

"_Escaped_ me, shit. Did I do something? Vince, did I do something and I didn't notice?" Scott asked plaintively, earning a shake of the head from his gigalith. "I just don't understand why she did this. ...Okay, it's Ree we're talking about, but these whims of hers have never lasted this long before. It's almost been a month. I didn't think she had what it took to become a trainer..."

"Scolipede," Rocio scolded, waddling along behind them.

"I did quite well for myself, okay? With your help, naturally."

"Gi-gigalith?"

"I don't know, I know there's things going on here. I just can't figure out what spooked her so bad to run off like this. Training has to be an excuse for something, I know it's not for the love of pokémon..." He sighed again, more dejectedly. His own girlfriend was running from him. It wasn't as if they had been fighting or anything, or had grown apart. He thought they had a rather strong relationship. "Yorick, any sign of her?"

"Stou!"

"Ugh. It's been two days now, so we may as well just head straight for Castelia. No more wandering around looking for scents that somehow don't exist." Scott pulled out his old pokédex, turning it on and accessing the map. "Looks like the main path is just a little north of us, and it should be a relatively straight shot. We could get there by tomorrow morning..."

"Scolipede, scoli!" Rocio exclaimed dramatically, laying her antenna flat against her head.

"You were _born_ here, so don't complain," he replied. He turned his pokédex off again and pocketed it, then pulled his aviators off the top of his head. "We're going to Castelia anyway, so we could find another tournament for you to win a pretty trophy in." Her eyes practically shone with gratitude.

"Stoutland, stout-stout?" Yorick asked with a wide yawn, lips curling. Scott nodded. "Laaaand."

"If you're all so tired of the forest, then let's get a move on. Vince is the one setting the pace, so don't look at me," he mumbled and pushed his sunglasses onto his nose. His gigalith beside him whined guiltily. "Ugh, when I see her next... I don't know. If she's a trainer now, I'm very tempted to challenge her to a battle and stomp her into the ground."

Rocio laughed. "Pede?"

"She's the one who ran away from me! I'm the victim here, don't be mean." He swung his backpack off one shoulder and opened it, digging around for Barbeque's pokeball. Nigel was still sleeping in his, but there was no reason the darumaka couldn't battle some of the wild pokémon in the area. It'd be useful to have a stronger fire pokémon, anyway. "Yorick, wanna go back to sleep? We'll be fine, and there's no use racing there. We'll get there tomorrow no matter the pace."

-.-.-

Ree was not happy. Her morning had been shitty, and now she had two foreigners following her around. She crossed her legs and waited impatiently for Lala to be done at the groomer's. Harry was off in another part of the store, in her element and all too happy to be amongst the colors of yarn, which left her with Kev and Jude, the globetrotting breeder.

Unfortunately, a mareep was insanely expensive. He didn't have any at the moment, either, which heightened the price. Harry was happy to get to the yarn store and stop the arguing, but Ree had sort of looked forward to seeing another fluffy thing on a regular basis. Mitzi didn't really count, since it wasn't quite the same.

Though, much to her surprise, she did see that the store sold minccino and cinccino fur. That made her feel a little queasy, and as a result, she decided not to get Mitzi groomed too.

"I'm sorry about before," Jude offered. Ree grunted in response. "I... didn't mean to offend you."

"With your presence?" Kev deadpanned.

"It's just _weird_, okay, and you bumped into this guy out of nowhere," she said. "The odds are pretty low, aren't they?"

"Castelia is a big city. I'm only here to do some business for a couple weeks while avoiding some personal problems. It's not as if I was trying to track you down and ruin your day."

"It's not ruined—well, it's just weird! You talk so weird!" she burst out. "At least Kev doesn't have an accent!"

"Aap ek murkhtaa stri," Kev replied easily. Ree groaned and buried her face in her backpack. She knew she was being a little weird herself about this topic, but she could barely keep up with Jude's speech, and they were both ganging up on her. She wasn't in the mood or mindset to be dealing with this. She had been okay with traveling around with Harry and a pregnant belly. She was even okay with Kev, though he could be a little snotty at times. But this was just too much, too fast.

"I'm sorry I don't have any mareep," Jude said by way of proper apology. "And I'm sorry you're, uh, uncomfortable."

"Castelia has a sizable Chinese population, and Undella's suburbs are full of Spanish-speakers. It's not as if this country has a completely homogenous population," Kev said stubbornly.

"Doesn't sound like you're making this fun either," he said, glad to be playing the diplomat. "And I'm still rather curious about why you're acting like a refugee in hiding when you've been here almost long enough to earn proper citizenship."

"I _have_ been a refugee, thank you."

"With the state the world has been the past decade, everyone has. You were the one who picked me out, but now you're acting skittish about the whole subject."

"With Unovans acting like her, can you blame me?" Kev asked with a gesture at Ree. She bared her teeth at him with a warning growl. "I'm sorry I've been so terse. I've just recently had my life uprooted, and if I don't get a job soon, I could be deported."

"Deported?" Ree echoed, surprised.

"Until I get my official citizenship, I have to have a government-approved job. And I'm just months shy of it," he said flatly.

"I can't blame them for being so tight with everything Plasma put them through, but dear lord," Jude said and gave a low whistle. "I've never cared much for politics, but this seems extreme."

"And you think Sinnoh is any fucking better? You said you came from there, and they're a shithole. Don't pretend like you're any better than us just because you have freer borders and can have all the mareep you want," Ree snapped.

"Yes, it's messy over there. Trust me, I _know_."

"Well that mess of yours almost had my sister killed," she grumbled, still mad at both of them—and she _still_ didn't quite know why she was. They were acting like she was the one in the wrong, but it wasn't like they were acting super friendly, either. Kev's mood had soured greatly once this topic had come up again, which in turn put her on the defensive, and she didn't have the heart to drag Harry back in and ruin her mood, too.

So Ree remained angry.

"Maya?"

She turned to him in shock. "You—know my sister?"

"I had the pleasure of meeting her, yes," Jude said with a disarming smile. "I wasn't there for part of the siege, but I was there for the tail end. I'm sorry she got caught up in it all."

Kev scowled. "If certain people hadn't messed up in the first place, people wouldn't have gotten killed at all."

"My sister's fine," Ree reminded him. "Oh—I mean, other people died, sure, but they weren't my sister. Or Unovan. So that's why we're mostly ignoring Sinnoh again."

"Wise move," Jude agreed. But he was looking at Kev with an indecipherable expression. Ree couldn't help but raise an eyebrow; Kev seemed just as angry at Sinnoh's problems as with Unova's issues, and Jude in turn knew plenty of what was going on. And was equally mad at it.

It all sounded very personal.

"You're from Hoenn and came here after the Magma shit was put down. Why do you have a stick up your ass about what's going on in the rest of the world?" Tact wasn't her strong point. Kev stiffened.

"You don't watch a lot of news, do you?" Jude asked cryptically.

As she opened her mouth to retort, their discussion was mercifully interrupted by a woman calling out, "Miss Majors? Your whimsicott is done!"

She stomped over and retrieved her fabulous-looking grass pokémon. "Oh fuck, Lala, you clean up good. We should get you groomed more often, huh?" she said, unable to help her grin. Lala beamed up at her. Her fur was shorter than it'd been in days, evenly cut, and whiter and fluffier than ever. Ree petted her as the groomer came over to them.

"We gave her a special shampoo to help slow the growing process, so her fluff shouldn't get so out of hand in the future. Though I advise—no more shearing yourself. Have it done by a professional."

"Whimsi!" Lala agreed firmly.

"Ah, okay."

"Thanks for your patronage," the groomer said cheerily as they departed. Ree glanced back at the piles of fluff they were sweeping into a bag. That fluff could one day be turned into yarn that Harry used. That was something to consider.

She briefly thought about returning to the boys' oh-so charming company. It didn't take long to decide against it. Probably the most mature thing she had done in quite some time. Lala under her arm, Ree waltzed out into the store, trying to find that obnoxious neon purple that let Harry stand out so easily. The downy pokémon in her possession once more helped with the anger, and the interruption had done wonders, too. She knew boys could be dicks, but she hated that she felt so guilty for snapping back at them. Did it count as snapping back? Well, she didn't care about semantics.

To her surprise, she caught Harry just coming out of the checkout line. Her hands were positively full of bags. "Already done?"

"Yes! I know pretty much what I wanted, and I did get a little carried away... But I've had a bit more pocket money lately, so I decided to spoil myself. And if we'll be in Castelia for awhile, I can use up a lot of this in the room instead of carrying it around," she said brightly and looked down at Lala. "Oh, she looks so cute now! Doesn't that feel better?"

"Whim," Lala replied as primly as she could manage, considering she was still being carried under Ree's arm like a pillow.

"Oh, I guess... I'll head back to the room to drop these off. Do you still have shopping to do?"

"Yeah, some clothes..."

"Where would you like to meet? There are a lot of stores here, and Castelia is so big..."

"I didn't really have a schedule in mind," Ree admitted. "There's a mall on the south side of town, but I can't remember the name of it. Big place, though, you probably can't miss it. I could chill in there for awhile, and you could call when you get in?"

"That sounds like a plan! It shouldn't take me too long to get there and back, but I wouldn't want to waste your time. And since Lala's done, we can leave together. Where are Kev and Jude?"

"Hell if I know."

"You're so caring, jaanu," Kev said coolly as he and Jude came up beside them.

"Is that foreign thing going to become a regular occurrence?"

"Now that I've seen what sort of reaction it elicits—"

"Play nice," Jude said sourly, elbowing him. "Though I'm afraid I'll be taking my leave now, ladies. I _do_ have business to attend to in your fair region. Here's my number, when you do save up for a mareep. I'll make sure to get one soon, so no collection fee." He handed Harry a handwritten note with a grin.

"Oh, gosh, thank you! I-I just warn you, it'll probably be awhile to save up..."

"I've already been in this business for a number of years, and I'd like to continue it for the rest of my years. Don't worry about how long it will take."

"Thank you," Harry repeated, obviously pleased, but a little shyly.

Just as Ree was wondering how she could be so cute, Jude surprised them all by leaning down and kissing her on the cheek. Harry blinked, but the blushing ensued soon after. She caught Kev roll his eyes beside him, but then Jude was leaning up and smirking at her, too. She had a knee-jerk reaction to push him away, but it was brief, and she decided not to hit him for a peck on the cheek. "I'm going to ask about that, you realize. Unless you make a habit of kissing strangers, in which case I ask for more," Ree said.

"I was half-hoping you'd blush like she did. It's just a parting gesture, because I'm allowed moments of stupidity like anyone else. I'm just lucky to have mine out of the public eye, I suppose," Jude said enigmatically and tugged at his gloves. Giving Kev a smile, he then leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek, too. "Fair's fair, and I have to be nice to my customers."

"I only bought a spoink from you. She's the future customer you should be buttering up," he replied, rubbing at his cheek.

"Forgive me then. It was nice meeting you all—and nice seeing you again, Kev. I'm... sorry for how things are."

Ree watched until Jude had disappeared into the crowds of Castelia. Harry was still faintly pink. "...So, you two chatted it up, huh?"

"He's recently single and not happy about it. He was only acting out, I think," Kev explained.

"O-Oh," Harry squeaked. "I thought it was some sort of Johto custom..."

"People kissing strangers as a cultural custom? Holy shit," Ree chuckled and finally fished around in her pocket for Lala's pokeball. Crowds and other stores weren't as pokémon-friendly as a place that wanted her fluff for its material.

"You really don't get out much, do you?" Kev asked with a heavy sigh.

"I was being facetious," she shot back. "Okay, so we figured out his problem, but what about yours, huh? You've been pissy all day, and while Jude was nice, he said some things to send you up a wall. Spill."

"I-I'm going back to the room!" Harry said quickly, gathering up her bags. She hurried off before Ree could stop her—and then she realized that she had just been left alone with Kev. Maybe she should've escorted her back after all.

"Poor girl," he chuckled dryly. "How did you two meet? You're opposites."

"And you're avoiding," Ree huffed. "What's got you so worked up about Sinnoh? You're from Hoenn."

"And I'm almost Unovan. Does everything have to be so cut and dried with you?"

"Okay, fuck you. I'm the knocked-up teenager with a grass-heavy team running from her boyfriend and traveling with a cute knitting fanatic—and you. I think I'm all over the map when it comes to categories for people."

"Why _are_ you running from him? He sounds reasonable enough—"

She turned and jabbed him in the chest. "This isn't Ree therapy time! This is Kev therapy time, and I'm tired of your mystery. You can be foreign, I'll eventually get used to it. But I don't like people keeping bullshit from me."

Kev pulled her finger away delicately. "You're aware of the political and trainer turmoil in Sinnoh, right?" She nodded. "I happen to have a personal tie to all of that, and I don't like that."

"Like—what, a sister sent as a diplomat and then held hostage?"

"For awhile, they believed my brother was one of the captors." He strode away from her, but she caught up easily. Kev scowled at her. "I came to Unova to escape Hoenn and its problems. To run from that old life. Plasma, I could deal with them. They were a different sort of evil, and mercifully more pacifistic. I can deal with the culture here, I've adapted to living here. It's nice here. The black market is at least hidden away from the public eye, so it's almost peaceful, and I can appreciate that. But—three." He turned and held up three fingers in her face, startling her. "Three trainers in the week before you fired me."

"You're not going to let me forget that, are you?" Ree asked shrewdly.

"Three trainers told me that I looked like my brother. They were not the first, and I doubt they'll be the last, but thankfully, you're utterly clueless when it comes to the world at large. It's nearly refreshing at this point. I have gotten too much shit for everything you can imagine—the color of my skin to my spoink to my language to my heritage, so you are nothing new to me. But I _like_ Unova, and I vastly prefer it to the rest of the world.

"You're a nice enough girl, Ree, but I do _not _need you telling me I don't belong here. I have earned my place here through hard work and perseverance, through all of the shit and ignorance. I'm at the point where, thanks to what's going on in Sinnoh, I'm simply not going to tolerate any more." Kev took a deep breath at the end of his speech. Ree could only stand there, more than a little shocked at the outburst. He grabbed her by the shoulders and got her walking again. "Now come on, young lady, you need to go shopping. I'm going to buy you a pretty dress before I shove my foot any deeper down my throat."

"Wait—what?" She was still trying to process the first part. Throwing a change of subject in there was just unfair.

"I'm sorry for my outburst."

"But—_what_?"

"Let's move on now."

"But—okay, hold it! What the fuck was all that about?" Ree whirled around on him, gesturing uselessly as an attempt to convey her confusion.

"Just me losing my temper. It runs in my family. Can we ignore it forever? I'll buy you two pretty dresses," Kev replied innocently.

"No! You're—let me process this. One: you have issues. Two: you have issues with your family. Three: holy fuck I don't even know what I was listening to. I think you lost me when you called me refreshing."

"Your brand of elitism is precious. I was just using you as an outlet for a lot of pent-up frustration."

"So why couldn't you talk to me about all this earlier?"

"And make myself look like more of an ass? No, thank you," Kev replied at once.

"...So then, Jude, he knew all this?"

"He brought it all up. He was more curious than you were."

"And then he told you his sob story about getting dumped? Huh. ...I wonder if I count as single."

"I suppose that's up to you," he said, puzzled.

"In that case, I want to make out with random strangers."

"Your baby daddy might get jealous."

"I don't even know what the fuck I'm doing, so how can Scottie know what I've been up to? I could've slept my way here from Nuvema for all he knows."

"Um, I was referring to that snivy of yours."

"Oh. Right. ...This is getting awkward. If you pose for me in tight jeans, how about neither of us tell Harry about any of this?" Ree rolled her shoulders back, thinking hard. "You know, that bothers me about you and Harry both. I think it's why you have these newfound temper problems. You guys don't battle enough."

"I haven't been a trainer for years. Neither has she," Kev replied defensively.

"Battling can be a great way to work off stress, and I need to find some douche canoes to beat into the ground, anyway. Castelia's full of 'em. Let's put off shopping for a couple hours and just go harass strangers with violence."

"I don't think Harry will like this idea."

"Jackster needs to shape up, too. We'll find some double battles and I'll back you guys up, if you're that worried. C'mon! It can be fun. Or would you rather wear tight jeans and model?" Ree's mind had been made up. Violence solved her problems, so she didn't see why it could've solve his, too. Even temporarily, while she sorted out all of that new information in her head and then figured out how to deal with him properly. Ree sent Harry a text telling her to meet them down at the docks, and she dragged Kev off to become a proper trainer again.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Back to battling! Ree pours on the gas, dragging her traveling companions forcibly along behind her. Scott's closing in, but Castelia is a big city. Ree doesn't seem to be in a hurry to challenge Burgh, anyway... Yet. Hijinks, as usual, ensue! But will have the things Ree's learned impact her relationship with Kev? Will she - gasp! - actually broaden her horizons a little, or will she revert to being frustrated and angry with him? Or will something else happen to interrupt all of this?


	12. Of Avoidance

Maya came home for her first winter.

Unovan winters were notoriously fierce, and that year was particularly bad in some regions. It wasn't unusual for trainers to take a couple months off in the winter to either train down south or simply visit home, and Ree knew that. But she was still surprised to open the door one morning and find her sister standing there.

Ree was ecstatic. It was Maya's first visit home since she left. Maya acted a little skittish at first, jumping at random noises, often making excuses to be outside. She seemed distant. But she warmed back up to her family, albeit after making sure she could have her pokémon out indoors. She wasn't going to give that right up without a fight.

Ree didn't care about all of the pokémon suddenly in her space and giving the house a feral feel. She only cared about her sister being there with her once more. There were questions asked, hugs given, even some tears shed, but soon enough, the sisters were back to their old ways: staying up until four in the morning watching _FLCL_ and guzzling lemonade and devouring candy. Everything was well again and Ree didn't feel so lonely.

And then, in the middle of February, Maya left again.

-.-.-

**Chapter Twelve**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Avoidance

-.-.-

Harry hummed along to the song playing in the pokémon center lobby—it sounded like Damned Ditto's newest hit—and waved at a sandy-haired girl getting her team healed. She had seen her around several times in the past couple weeks. It was odd, seeing the same faces repeatedly while traveling, but it happened strangely frequently. She could still recall the handful of kids from her hometown who started training at the first time. They didn't lose each other until Pinwheel Forest.

She was already thinking of the things she could make with all the yarn she had bought. She knew from experience that she could usually sell some things in pokémon centers, and with winter drawing ever nearer, she should be starting to hit prime selling season. It depended on how long Ree was going to stay in Castelia, but she could knit in the mornings and evenings, and it didn't take all that long to make hats or scarves...

She wasn't prepared for when she found her companions again. Ree had changed their meeting place to the docks, but she hadn't thought anything of it. It wasn't hard to find them. She only had to follow the screaming.

She found Kev restraining Ree with Sophia, and the tall girl ranted and raved at a young boy of thirteen or fourteen. Whippy and Mitzi were out in front of her, and alarmingly, the snivy was bent over and bleeding from the mouth. "You bastard, you flaming heatmor ass!"

"Min, min," Mitzi comforted, hovering over Whippy.

"Oh—Harry, thank god, _you_ come talk some sense into her!" He released his grip on the bat and Ree stumbled forward, momentarily perplexed by her freedom.

But he severely overestimated Harry's overall impact on her environment. She could only stand by as Ree leapt at the unfortunate boy and actually began to tear at him with her fingers. Kev blanched and hurried to intervene again.

"Ree, what happened?" Harry asked, stepping between them as the shaken boy got back to his feet.

"It was a pokémon battle! She was the one who sent out an injured pokémon!" the boy yelled.

"He's recovering, and he's been _advised_ to fucking evolve to fix it!" Ree howled back.

"Whippy got hurt, and Ree's not happy," Kev surmised grimly. "Kid, this battle's over. Take your timburr and leave."

"Vee," Whippy pouted, looking up at them all. He was still clutching his chest and had a little dribble of blood near the corner of his mouth. Mitzi hurriedly wiped it away for him. "Vee-vee, snivy, sni?"

"No, you're not still battling!"

"Min! Chee!" Mitzi cried.

"Vee..."

Ree stooped and picked him up, cradling him in her arms. "You're not battling any more today, mister. Harry, you stay here and battle with Kev."

"What?" she asked.

"You two should work on your battling! I bet if Jackster ever gets around to evolving, he'll be a badass. And then your others will evolve!"

"I'm not sure this is a good idea..."

"I'm leaving my other three here, so try not to let them get away with murder. Harper and Mitzi should behave, but..."

"Wait—why are you leaving them?"

"I don't know how long this will take with Whippy, and I _need_ them trained. I'm not asking you to direct them. Just make sure they don't cause trouble. It's like babysitting."

"Ree, you can't expect to saddle us with your team of misfits just because you are worried about one!" Kev exclaimed.

"If Whippy's seriously hurt, I'm not losing out on hours of training! You can use them in double battles if you want, or let them out on their own. Harry knows them and they'll listen, just not to battle commands. I like multitasking, and if they're all together, I'm not worried about someone stealing any of them. Especially with you two around," Ree reasoned. Whippy hissed up at her, but as he moved, he had to have strained something in his chest again and collapsed with a flinch. "I'm taking my snivy to the center! Here." She pulled two minimized pokeballs out of her pocket and tossed them to Harry. "I'll have Sophia with me, so don't worry about me. You guys—train. How am I supposed to level up faster if my own companions can't be used as training fodder?"

With that, Ree marched off with Whippy in her arms. Mitzi, ears drooping and eyes large and betrayed, looked up at Harry. "...M-Min?"

"Oh, she'll be back. Whippy will be fine!" Harry said quickly and knelt down beside her. "Um... Do you still want to battle?"

With a determined look, the minccino nodded.

"I was afraid of that... Kev, what do we do?"

"Release her pokémon and smash the pokeballs?" he suggested flatly. Mitzi squealed and jumped at Harry's hand, tearing the two pokeballs out of her grip. She laid over them like they were eggs, hissing up at the pair of non-trainers. Kev winced guiltily. "I was joking... She took Mitzi's pokeball with her, so at the very least, we have to keep an eye on her. If she wants to battle... We don't have the authorization to stop her."

"I'm not sure I feel comfortable ordering around someone else's team, anyway... B-But who _does_ that? Does she really trust us so much to leave these three here?" Harry said worriedly, standing back up. Mitzi relaxed and eased off of the pokeballs.

"She obviously trusts you, but I think she really does have multitasking on mind. She seems impatient and rash." Harry sighed. That definitely summed Ree up well, especially lately... "I think she just wants some time to fume to herself. She doesn't like getting upset in front of you," Kev added thoughtfully.

"M-Me? I didn't mean to!"

"No, not like that. ...Well, this situation won't get any simpler if we stand here. May as well do as she asked," he said, clearly with great remorse. He pulled out Visoka's pokeball and released the spoink, immediately earning startled gasps from some of the nearer passersby. Kev already looked like he was regretting everything. "Um... What's proper challenging etiquette here? I've never really done this in Unova before..."

"Isn't it the same everywhere? Just, um, a-ask for a battle?" Harry was rusty herself. She pulled out her pokeballs, momentarily wondering just how good of an idea this would be. But her team had been battling more since she'd started traveling with Ree, so they weren't as out of shape as she probably feared. As hers came out, Jackster pressed up against her, whinnying nervously at the mass of people all around them. "Shh, it's okay. I-I think we're going to try some battling again today, how does that sound?"

"Bliii," he said with a pout.

She fixed his green scarf, looping it once more around his neck so he wouldn't trip. Hopefully. At her feet, Mitzi tapped the pokeballs and released her teammates. It looked like they have a veritable army, although they were all fairly small. Jackster was the largest, and blitzle weren't exactly big pokémon. "Um... Let's get this over with..."

Lala, ever the master at aggravating others, had drawn a panpour over from a girl's shoulder. Harper took to the air and Kev and Visoka backed up to give them some space, but surprisingly, Lala lured the panpour over and then hopped up onto Jackster's back. "Scott," she said and patted his neck, then hopped off behind him.

"Bliiii? Bliztle?" he neighed, rearing back at the irate simian. Lala stuck behind him, and the panpour couldn't get to her through his prancing hooves.

"Jackster, just, um—shock it! Shockwave!"

He pranced about for a couple more moments, nearly crying as he tried to get out from between them, but eventually his worry transformed into annoyance. Mareep wool scarf sparking with the electricity in his mane, he unleashed a torrent of electricity around him. The panpour skidded away, unconscious and looking slightly charred. Lala tumbled away from his other side, fluff standing on end.

"So he _is_ a capable battler," Kev noted with a grin. Harry nodded shyly. _She_ knew he was a good pokémon. Others just couldn't believe that a skittish pokémon could still be strong.

Lala, excited about this development, soon bounded off to find more. She seemingly had appointed herself as the bait for Jackster, and she did bring back pokémon that he almost always had some advantage against, be it electricity or size. It was a little unnerving how well she could pick out those weaknesses.

Mitzi and Harper stuck closer to Kev, well away from all of the electricity in the air. They soon found a double battle of their own. Harry made sure to keep an eye on them, to make sure they were safe and could manage themselves, but they were working together well and Harper seemed to know how to pick her battles, too.

It got harder and harder to watch them, however, as Hattie demanded her own attention and training. She headbutted Shady, force-marching her to various battles. Harry followed them, trying to keep Jackster and Lala within sight too, but it was getting to be overwhelming. There were so many people about, and even more pokémon. Others had the same idea, letting their pokémon all but roam free, so half the time she couldn't even tell who her human opponent was. There wasn't as much monetary exchanges as was supposed to be going on, but she didn't mind that, especially since more than once she had to carry her sewaddle and litwick away from a battle they couldn't win.

"Kev! Are you keeping an eye on Ree's?" Harry called loudly, barely able to pick him out across the dock.

"They're doing quite well on their own. How are you doing?"

"Oh, uh, fine!" They were winning more than they were losing, at least, and it seemed as if Jackster was gaining a little bit of confidence from so many easy matches. "How are you doing?"

"I'm again reminded at how few people know what a spoink is in this area." Harry heard a shriek and caught the tail end of a palpitoad getting tossed psychically off the dock. Putting a water pokémon in water wasn't the best of ideas; half a dozen people got soaked by the resulting surf.

Though it involved more running back and forth between her tiny duo and her starter, and while it was stressful to keep an eye on everything going on (or try to), Harry had forgotten how much _fun_ training could be. Ree's pokémon seemed to do very well on their own, and perhaps most shockingly of all, didn't get into any trouble outside of battling. At one point, after a great fight in which Hattie thoroughly trounced her opponent, she began to glow. Almost immediately, the effect wore off as the bug shook her head vehemently.

"Still not yet, huh?" Harry asked helplessly. Hattie nodded, frowning, and waddled off to find something else to fight. Not until Jackster evolved, and while he was doing excellently, she wasn't sure when that'd be. She had no illusions about her team; she wouldn't get too much farther training with a team full of unevolved (and small) pokémon.

They called a break and managed to corral in the right pokémon. Mitzi was panting terribly and Visoka wasn't bouncing with his normal energy, but they all seemed pretty well off. Harry was astonished to find that nearly two hours had passed.

"Where is she? No text or call..."

"Not me, either. There must have been some sort of complication with the snivy," Kev said.

"I hope it wasn't too bad... I'm sure it wasn't!" Harry added hastily when Mitzi gave a squeak of dismay. "She's probably just waiting for a prescription or some sort of medicine for him."

"I'm surprised at how well they all behaved, though. Which makes me wonder if it's Whippy or Ree that's the catalyst for trouble."

"Si-si-si," Lala chuckled darkly.

"Harper and Mitzi seem really well-behaved. It's Whippy and Lala who are more... rambunctious."

"Their trainer certainly doesn't help things. Discipline is needed for any successful training journey, and she already has the odds stacked against her."

"Do you have to be so hard on her? I think she has it rough enough without you rubbing it in."

"And she'll only take it out on the world around her if she could."

-.-.-

"Well, he's managed to re-break the ribs that had been healing," the nurse on duty sighed, holding the x-rays up against the light. Whippy lowered his head, guilty, and curled his tail around himself. "You would've been advised to take it carefully, right?"

"Yeah. He's on painkillers, but we were told that he's close to evolving, and that we should try to get him to..." Ree muttered defensively. How was he supposed to evolve if he couldn't battle? They _had_ been careful!

"That can be a sound strategy for injuries like these, but they're worse now. Evolution would still fix these, of course, but he won't be able to battle for four weeks, at least."

"Four weeks? Without my starter battling?" she squawked, outraged by the very sentiment. That was a full month! Eight months to go, and Whippy was going to be MIA for that? "There has to be another way to fix this. A way to make him evolve without battling..."

"There are," the woman admitted and set the x-rays on the table. Ree and Whippy both brightened. "But they're not easy, and they're very expensive. Have you ever heard of rare candies?"

"No." Although the snivy broke into a grin at the mention of sweets.

"They're a specially formulated treat that increases growth in pokémon." That had to have been the best invention ever created! The nurse cut them both off before the excitement could grow further, however. "The problem is that they are very difficult and expensive to manufacture. There's been a movement recently to get more of them into pokémon centers across the world, for situations such as these, and we do have some in stock. The problem is that they're for medical emergencies only, where evolution could save a pokémon's life."

"What makes these so hard to make? They're candy, right?"

"Only the pokémon species shuckle can make them naturally, which means Unova must import the majority of ours. There have been artificial versions that have been successfully created, but they don't have the same potency."

"Still! He should be close to evolving. I'll take a couple of the weaker ones!"

The nurse fixed her with a flat look. "Miss Majors, these things are expensive. Yes, I can sell you some—but there is a cap of three per trainer, even if they can afford more. We cannot sell any more than that in case we do wind up with emergencies."

"Okay, how much?" Ree asked hopefully.

"The artificial ones cost ten thousand each. We cannot sell the natural rare candies." Ree couldn't help but wince. That was a _lot_. She could scrape together enough for one, just barely, if she withdrew the remains of her savings account and if Mitzi and the others came back with some prize money... But that would use up all of her funds. Pokémon center stays were free, as was the mess hall, but they still needed supplies badly.

She looked at her starter on the metal table. "Do you think he'd evolve if he got just one?" she asked.

The nurse gestured an audino over and they looked Whippy over. The audino nurse gently rolled him over and pulled his tail out straight, studying his tail intently. After some conversing, the human nurse turned back to Ree. "While he is close to evolution... No, we don't believe he would evolve with just one rare candy. It would get him much closer, of course, and it's highly likely that the growth resulting from it could help heal some of the damage and mitigate a little of the pain. But in our decision, he would not evolve."

That made things worse. It would help him, but it wouldn't cure him, and that was really expensive. She could probably ask Harry of Kev for money, but she didn't like relying on others—and where were they even getting their money? Harry wasn't a trainer and Kev was unemployed.

"There is another way for a pokémon to grow and evolve without being in battle," the woman said suddenly, and Ree and Whippy both perked back up.

"What is it?"

"Snivy?"

"It's called an experience share. It's a device that you put on your pokémon that links two together. You send one out to battle, and the growth and experience they gain is transferred to the secondary pokémon—your snivy. This is a slower method, obviously, but it would be much cheaper."

She _was _training the rest of the team, so wouldn't this be two pidove with one stone? Though if it took longer... It could still be a couple days for him to evolve. Would painkillers be enough?

"We have two we keep at the center to rent out to trainers, usually for cases like this. Regular use is a thousand a day, but if it's for medical purposes, we lower it to seven hundred." Still a little pricey, but tons better. It allowed wiggle room for supplies and food, too.

Whippy raised his head and stuck out his tongue at her. Ree replied in kind. "Okay, doc, looks like we're gonna take that route." She gingerly picked him up and petted his scales, and he hissed contentedly, tail quivering. Ree filled out the necessary paperwork and decided to rent it for three days. She was assured she could get more if need be, and while that did create a dip in her finances, she was confident she could earn it back with battling. "And then you better evolve soon, and you'll kick _all_ the ass!"

He hissed, sleepy because of the medication. "Sniii."

The nurse showed her how to use the device. Whippy's half involved strange headgear secured by a collar, and the other half was a simpler design, a thicker collar with two little boxes on either side of it. "It has a range of around a hundred feet, but the closer, the better. They're both very durable, but if you damage either half, there _will_ be fees."

Ree nodded with a gulp. No need to press her luck; she'd take very good care of the equipment. And then Whippy would evolve in a day or two, and everything would be awesome again. A pregnancy was complicated enough. She didn't want training or finance complications to boot. She returned Whippy and got a new prescription for his painkillers. They advised something a little stronger now.

She walked out into the lobby, milling with other trainers. In the corner, there was a blonde girl leading a couple others in some sort of yoga positions, there was a knot of trainers watching someone challenge the elite four on television, and there was a curly-haired brunette with a reuniclus at the front desk. It wasn't as busy as it was during the evenings when most trainers checked in or returned for the day, but it was still pretty busy. Ree would have to get used to all of the people. _When was the last time I've been to Castelia, anyway?_ She thought it had been a shopping trip with a couple of girls from the basketball team, but it might've been with her family...

The reuniclus at the front perked up its horns, turning around curiously. "Clus!" The cry drew Ree's attention and it patted its trainer's head excitedly. She recognized Edgar just as Maya turned around. Their eyes locked.

And Ree was out of that center faster than a charging bouffalant. She had been so worried about Scott, she'd forgotten about the danger Maya posed! Maya was the more accomplished trainer, _and_ she had a psychic with her! Ree ran around the building, desperate to get out of sight before her sister came out, and pulled out her phone. "Ree! _Ree_!" She certainly wasn't making herself any less suspicious, but at least the crowds of people and pokémon were a good thing now! She dodged in between couples and trainers, scrolling down to Harry's number.

"Harry! Where are you guys?"

"Ree, we're still at the docks. Y-You sound—are you okay? Did something happen?"

"Meet me at the pokémon center!" Now that she had lured Maya out, she could circle around and make her way back there. She wasn't sure what she was going to do now—flee, or hide? Behind her, there were several cries of alarm and suddenly, the clattering of hooves. "Fast!" Ree screeched and hung up.

She was a faster runner than Maya, but her sister wasn't alone. Hooves loud on the pavement, a sawsbuck leapt over her head and landed neatly in front of her, nearly bumping into someone else. Maya, looking peeved, was seated on his back.

Ree briefly wondered if she could fake a heart attack or miscarriage to get away.

"Ree Majors, where do you think you're going?" Late, Edgar floated up behind them, patting Ree on the head fondly. Maya gestured him over as she slid off of Mordecai, her sawsbuck.

"I was just going out for a run. Why are you in Castelia. You already have your badge," she replied casually, looking everywhere but at her sister. Thank god she wasn't showing yet, but this still wasn't going to be fun. Just as she was wondering if she could make a break for it, she felt a psychic tug on her shirt. That would be a no then.

"I'm here for _you_."

"I don't need a babysitter. I'm the older one."

"You're a newbie trainer and I'm Unova's elite," Maya replied, hands on her hips. She hardly looked like an elite trainer. More like some sort of forest pixie with all of the green and cute.

"Hey, that reminds me. I just ran into one of your friends today. Real cute guy, some sort of famous breeder. He was in Sinnoh while you were." Maya flushed and her anger faltered. Ree took the opportunity to run, but Edgar caught her by the back of the shirt before she'd taken two steps. "Let me go! Abuse! Kidnapping! Assault! Psychic rape!"

"Ree, stop causing a scene!" Maya scolded, anger back in full force.

"Then let me go! I have things to do, I'm a very busy trainer these days. I can't afford to socialize right now since I have to go out and kick ass, but if you'd like to set up a date—"

"This isn't a joke, Ree! You suddenly ran off and decided to become a trainer?" To be entirely fair to the situation, Maya was causing just as much of a scene as Ree was. It didn't help that it looked like a couple trainers were starting to recognize her.

"That's kinda old news now, you know. I already have two badges. Four pokémon. So you're a bit late."

"No, unlike Scott, I was just waiting for you to get to Castelia. It's a lot closer to home than Nacrene," she snorted. "Edgar told me when you got here, and here I am. Here for some answers."

"You traitorous scum," Ree spat at the reuniclus. He bashfully covered his face with his translucent paws. Though Unova had restrictions on teleporting, psychics could still be legally used for tracking by trainers. She just hadn't thought her sister would be the one to try it. Thank god Scott didn't have one...

"What are you trying to prove, Ree?" Maya finally demanded.

"I just want to do this. You wanted to do this."

"Six years ago."

"I'm a little late to the party, so fucking sue me. But I'm doing this now, like you always wanted, so I don't see why you're so upset."

"Because you left me behind again! You couldn't have waited a _week_ for me to get back into the country?" Ree shook her head. Maya growled at her. "What happened, Ree? What's spooked you into doing this now?"

"Nothing."

"Did you and Scott get into a fight?"

"No."

"You and mom? Dad?"

"No."

"Why, then?"

"I just—wanted to! I don't see why I have to get persecuted for this! No one complained when I tried all of the other times!" Ree exclaimed, exasperated. They were just a couple blocks from the pokémon center, but she hoped Harry and Kev would be able to find her there. Come to think of it, Kev's appearance might be a boon for her...

"We—mom and dad and I—we all thought you'd given up on this. That you just wouldn't be a trainer. There's nothing wrong with that, but I just want to know about the change of heart. I was so worried about you, Ree," Maya said, deflating. She looked up at her sister with a frown, blinking rapidly. "I just don't see why we couldn't do this together. Just _once_."

Ree groaned. Still, thanks to Whippy's sad eyes, she had gotten used to the tactic. "It's not that! This is just something I wanted to do for myself. That's all."

And then, her cavalry arrived.

Harper pelted into Edgar's face, causing him to flail and panic. Mordecai whistled nervously and shied away from them. Harry came up behind them, panting, and put her hands on her knees. "Ree... You said..."

"It's close to the center," she said.

Harper chirped and flapped back to Ree, landing protectively on her shoulder, and glared at all of them. Maya, scowling, looked between the newcomers expectantly. "...A pidove, Ree?"

"This is Harper," she said defensively.

"I thought you said you wanted to do this alone."

"She—this is just Harry! She's technically not a trainer."

"U-Um. Yes. I'm not." Harry stood up to her full height and gave a little wave, clearly lost by the situation. Ree felt claws through her jeans and looked back as Mitzi climbed up her leg and into her arms.

"See? Pokémon. I'm doing this right," Ree offered, holding Mitzi out. Now they were only missing Lala and Kev. Maya nodded, but still seemed wary of it all.

"Yes, but—"

"You lost one," Kev said as he finally arrived, depositing Lala into Ree's arms. Ree grinned savagely, pleased; she had just won. She looked over as Maya shut down. Blushing and stammering, Maya backed up until she was pressed into Mordecai's side. She always got so reserved and shy around guys, especially the more attractive ones. It had taken almost half a year for her to warm up to Scott.

And a shy, blushing Maya was more easy to brush off and get away from than a demanding, aggressive one.

Harry looked at the younger Majors sister, clearly confused, having seen the transformation for herself. "Um, are you alright?" Ree barely held back a snicker.

"U-Um, yes, I'm sorry, I-I'm fine," Maya squeaked. It was fairly apparent that Mordecai was the only one keeping her on the scene.

"...You two are _related_? The resemblance is there, but the dispositions are polar opposites," Kev remarked.

"And you and this brother you hate are any better?" Ree shot back and he bristled. Maya, if possible, got redder and her eyes grew big. "Maya, this is Kev. Guys, this is my little sister, Maya."

"Hello."

"H-Hi."

"We-ell, Maya dear, I do have things to do today," Ree announced with a smirk. Maya glared at her, but she was pinned to the spot with Kev there. Thank god for her sister's neurosis or whatever it was. Kev would act as a walking deterrent, but it was short term help. Maya was still in the city, and she knew that they'd have to return to the pokémon center eventually. They could easily lose her in the city—wait.

Edgar.

Ree eyed the reuniclus cautiously. Thankfully, Maya wasn't the only one with a psychic. "Hey, Kev, do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Can Visoka break a psychic lock?"

-.-.-

"Mitzi! Use your secret weapon!" Ree called out and her minccino leapt upon the ducklett with a fierce snarl.

And then she tickled it.

Ree herself had been tickled pink when she realized that her pokémon could legitimately _tickle_ opponents in battle, and it seemed to lower the opponent's attack _and_ defense to boot. Then again, who would expect a tickle attack? And who could properly attack anything that cute?

Hearing a ducklett laugh was pretty cute in itself, and she had it rolling on the ground, quacking and gasping for air, as she dug her little paws into its feathers to reach its skin. Its trainer stared at the scene, mouth agape.

Ree felt pretty good about everything. She got away from Maya rather ingeniously, if she said so herself. After the spoink did his part and Maya returned Edgar on Ree's threats, it was a simple matter to start a scene. They had already gotten a couple of bystanders who recognized the Unova representative to Sinnoh during all of that trouble, and soon enough, an off-duty reporter had showed up to ask a couple questions. Ree practically cackled as she escaped and her sister was powerless to follow her.

She still knew that she'd be waiting at the pokémon center that night, but that could be ignored for a couple more hours. Until then, training, and her trainer problems. Mitzi was wearing the collar to share her experience with Whippy, who laid, half-asleep, in Ree's arms. She was doing pretty good for herself, which was surprising. But pleasantly so. Mitzi whirled around and smacked the ducklett with her tail, sending it skidding, and then leapt at it again to pound it into the concrete.

Not five minutes later, Ree was collecting winning money from a cranky preteen. "Good job, Mitzi! We've almost made enough to cover the first day of this crazy contraption!" To her dismay, her pokémon hadn't collected any prize money from their battling with her companions. Though she wasn't sure why she had expected them to. Or what trainer in their right mind would hand over half their money to a seemingly trainer-less pokémon.

"No! No!" Mitzi cheered and twirled. She paused to scratch at her collar, but then beamed back up at her trainer.

"How about you, mister? Ready to evolve yet?" Ree asked her snivy. He yawned in reply. "Worth a shot. Hey, Harry! How you doing?"

"Pretty good!" She pushed her way through the crowd, a fistful of bills in hand. "Jackster won another battle! A-And Hattie barely had to help."

It looked as if the blitzle wasn't comfortable battling trained pokémon alone yet, but that was definite progress. She could turn Harry back into a trainer yet.

"When do you think you'll want to challenge Burgh?" Harry asked suddenly and Ree's reality came crashing back down. Right. She had to get the badge and get the hell out of Dodge, especially with Maya in town.

"I don't know... I want Whippy to evolve and get better, but he's the bug specialist, right?"

"Yes. He's got three pokémon, though, and his gym is... interesting."

"Three. Well, I got four, and Harper's a bird! She's totally badass against bugs. I know grass isn't, but I have Mitzi, too, and when Whippy evolves, he and Lala will both have sheer strength. I'm not too worried, but I just want him to evolve." Mitzi was surprisingly a decent battler already, so Ree's main priority had to be her starter. She just didn't feel right getting into a gym battle without him.

"...Ree, what are you going to do about your sister?" Harry asked quietly.

"...I don't know yet. Avoid her until I can get out of the city."

"That could still be a couple days, and even if she can't track you with her reuniclus anymore, she's your sister. She knows you and knows what you look like, and your boyfriend could still show up any day now, too..."

"Argh, I _know_! But I can't put any distance between myself and them until I can get this badge!" Ree barked and stomped off to drag another kid into a battle. Harry followed her with a sigh. "...Kev's still off job hunting, right?"

"Yes, I think so. You could always just... tell them, Ree. They love you. I'm sure they'll be okay with it."

"Probably," she agreed dully. "But that's not the issue here. This was my fuck-up, and I want to be the one to fix this."

"You're fixing it by running away?" Harry asked, voice sharp.

"It makes me feel better, okay? I don't want to drag them down with me. Especially not Scott. He'd feel guilty, and he'd probably want to do something stupid like keep the damn thing, but I know he... He's younger than me, you know that? A couple months, but I'm almost eighteen. He'll barely be eighteen by the time this thing is born, and what are we going to do with a baby?"

"...This could be his decision, too, Ree. That's his child too."

"Harper, gust," Ree mumbled and her pidove leapt off her shoulder and flapped into the air. "I don't want to talk about this, Harry. I just want to avoid them and do this on my own, to prove to myself that I _can_."

Harry smiled and took her hand. "You are strong, Ree, that's not in question here. I know you can do this. But it's okay to let others help, too."

"That's what you're for, isn't it?"

The redhead flushed and stammered out, "Uh, y-yes! Sure! O-Okay."

"Maya and Scott will be the hardest to avoid... Scott doesn't know my team yet, but if they're in contact, he will soon. They know what we all look like now, and... wait." Ree turned to Harry, an idea forming. A whim, but a whim that may buy her some time. Harry's hair was dark red, wavy, and about to her shoulders. Surely she wouldn't mind trimming it a bit...

"Ree, why are you looking at me like that?" Harry asked, alarmed, but Ree wouldn't let go of her hand.

"Let's go be spies, Harry."

"_What_?"

"Look at my hair, it's so poofy and long. And yours is pretty long, too, isn't it? Let's go make some disguises! We can get haircuts, and you can buy a sweater that isn't so bright and purple, and we can get sunglasses, and I don't know, makeovers or something! It's not perfect, but since they're both hunting me on sight—and you, since they know what you look like—we can change what we look like!" To Ree, this was the best idea ever created. To Harry, this was rather flimsy and it was sort of scary to see Ree that excited.

After Harper trounced the swadloon and Mitzi took out its comrade sandile, Ree dragged Harry off to the nearest hair salon. Harry, mostly in a show of camaraderie, agreed to get a trim. Ree was going all out.

"Just a cut?" the man asked in surprise. Ree nodded seriously. "Your hair is very curly. You sure you don't want it straightened?"

"Cut it! Short!"

After her hair turned out to resemble a cross between a pidove nest and Lala, Ree agreed to get it straightened. It cost more, but it was one of those techniques that would last six months, according to the man. That was most of her journey! And since she almost never straightened her hair, there would be double the disguise points!

Harry got done first. Her hair was now chin-length, still looking a little damp, but it was a change. Ree was pleased. She was getting antsy by the time the stylist was done straightening, but soon enough, she was turned around to face the mirror. Ree swept some of her bangs out of her eyes, and grinned at her reflection. A pixie cut would buy her some time, surely.

"Alright! Thanks!" Ree gave him the biggest tip she could afford for being such a good sport about the crazy girl demanding all her hair be chopped off. "Shopping now!"

"I thought you were going to go shopping earlier..."

"We got into battling instead, remember? And then Whippy got hurt, and then Maya arrived, and it was all very messy. But now we look hot, and I _do_ need some new clothes. The more we can change ourselves before storming the center again, the better!" She flipped open her phone and hit Kev's number. "Hey! Where are you?"

"In the room," he replied.

"...Wait, the pokémon center?"

"Yes," Kev said with a sigh. "I'm looking through the phone book for numbers. I don't see why not all websites have their phone number... Your sister did see me, but she didn't approach me."

They had an inside source. Ree's mind, already excited due to the prospect of disguises, was already churning out new ideas. "Okay then, you stay there! Do more job shit or something. We're gonna go shopping for some clothes real quick, but we'll be back there soon. You may need to let us in."

"...Let you in? It's an open pokémon center."

"Maya's guarding the lobby, and I bet she will until one of us shows up. The windows are big." With that, she hung up and turned back to Harry with a beam. "We got our ticket back inside!"

"You're kidding, right?" Harry asked weakly. She shook her head. "Ree, we're on the second floor!"

"We face the outside, remember? He can open the window and we can... I don't know. Ropes made of bedsheets or something!"

"You're... really getting into this, huh?"

"Harry, I'm just now hitting my stride," Ree told her confidently. "I got a good reason to continue on, besides a heavy dose of paralyzing shame, and by god, I am going to do this or die trying. Go big or go home type deal. A haircut is _nothing_. I will become Leeroy Jenkins if that's what it takes to preserve my sense of pride at this point."

"Wh-Who?" Harry asked cluelessly, but Ree laughed and brushed her off. The girls hit the mall. Kev had said that Maya was there, and it was likely she'd be camping in the lobby with a view of the door for the rest of the day. They had free run of Castelia, for the moment, but Ree wanted to get back sooner rather than later. And she was getting hungry. Though she didn't dare go to the cafeteria if Maya was around...

Harry picked out a long skirt, but seemed fine with just that. Ree, on the other hand, wasn't so frugal. Not having to pay for rare candies reminded her of how much money she had—money that was there to spend, after all. She wasn't saving up for a mareep and she had made some money battling earlier, and hey, she _did_ need some new clothes. A new pair of jeans, a warmer set of pajamas, some underwear, and she of course couldn't resist the bra section, either. Harry hovered around the fringes, looking distinctly uncomfortable.

"How do you not need new clothes? Training is rough. I've already torn two shirts, one irreparably, not to mention the blood fiasco," Ree sighed, pawing through a pile of multicolored thongs.

"Jeans. Denim is strong. And, um, I suppose I just wear practical clothing." Harry eyed the underwear. "Practical means... You don't have to go impressing your boyfriend."

"I usually don't wear thongs, but they're funny to look at. They look like slingshots waiting to happen. What type of underwear is the _practical_ choice then, oh great guru?" Ree asked and held up a lacy red pair of panties.

"U-Um, oh gosh, Ree, can we _not_ talk about this in the middle of the store?"

"Why are you so easy to embarrass?"

"Why don't you have any sense of shame?"

"I do, but look. It's all ladies here, and guess what, ladies wear underwear, too. It's allowed to be cute sometimes. Even sexy, heaven forbid!"

"I-I'm not against cute o-or sexy!" Harry exclaimed. "You asked me what trainers wore, and I told you. Denim and cotton and I wear things I've made."

"I guess there is a dude over there with his girlfriend," Ree said, craning her neck to look at the couple. "Scott used to never come here with me, except once last Christmas. He liked all of the red and fur lining, I guess. I just have a weakness for lingerie, Harry. It's super effective."

She wasn't impressed by the attempt at humor. "You can buy what you want, but remember. You still have pokémon to take care of, a-and food and supplies to buy! Whippy's medicine can't have been cheap, and neither is that experience share."

"Fine, _mom_. I was just window shopping. Mostly." Ree grabbed two pairs of the less lacy panties and a green bra she had had her eye on. Harry followed her sullenly, still with the sole bag in her hand. "Lighten up. I don't think you'd have liked it much if Kev had come along, so I figured we may as well do this now. Anywhere else you want to stop?"

"I didn't need any clothes," she replied evenly.

"Then I'm done. Let's go break into our room."

Ree could tell Harry had been nervous, but it turned out to be exceedingly easy. Ree sent Harper up with their bags and things, one at a time, and Kev let down a rope for them to climb up on. It was exciting and sort of a jailbreak in reverse, but she still felt proud for getting one up on her sister.

"Where did you get the rope?" Harry asked as Kev helped her inside.

"There was a hiker in the computer room when I went to check there. He let me borrow some."

"Speaking of tech, how'd the job hunt go?" Ree asked as she unlaced her shoes. Her poor feet. She felt like she'd been standing all day.

"I have an interview for tomorrow, and another for the day after. It's promising, more promising than I had dared to hope," he admitted, but they could both hear the pleased tone. "You two... look nice. Though it was a bit of a shock."

Ree grinned and ran her hand through her short hair. "It's part of our disguise! I also got these bad boys," she said and pulled out an oversized pair of sunglasses from one of her bags. "I could be a film star with this look. I even have a scandal already!"

"You're in high spirits," Kev commented.

"I got away from her once, and thanks to you and your spoink, she can't track me as easily."

"Visoka couldn't fully break it. It will still have some sense," he warned.

"I know. But she knows that I'm in the city, so for now, it's useless. She can't pinpoint me and she'll hardly be able to track me. Plus, looks like she's gotten herself a boost of fame again," she said gleefully, gesturing to the local evening news. Maya, looking slightly less flustered than they'd left her, was talking frankly about her opinion on the happenings in Sinnoh compared to some of Unova's own political problems. Probably a little too frankly. The story was spinning it in not the best of directions.

"Why did your sister get sent over? Why not a gym leader again?"

"They were already over there once, and I dunno, they said something about wanting a 'normal' trainer when they interviewed her," Ree said with a shrug. "She could take care of herself, but she wasn't a celebrity or anything beforehand."

"She's taking the fame gracefully enough."

"She's always done things graceful. She's the elegant, refined sister." Ree pulled off her socks and went to untie her ponytail, nails scraping the back of her neck. Even without the weight of her hair, that'd take some getting used to. "I'm gonna go try to give my team a bath. They all got filthy battling."

"Lala managed to stay pretty clean."

"Yeah, and her fluff is a pain to dry... The other three, then. The smaller ones." Ree stripped down to a tank top and her underwear, giving her companions both a look, daring them to comment. Arms full of her three little pokémon, she marched into the bathroom. Kev hardly batted an eye; he flipped through a Castelia phone book. Harry had already settled into knitting for the night.

Whippy was still a little groggy from all of the medication they'd given him, so thankfully, bath time didn't turn into a catastrophe. Harper behaved perfectly, as always, though she didn't like the soap very much. Mitzi acted like a total sweetheart and even helped Ree clean Whippy up, careful of his torso, using her own tail like a brush. She appeared to like the bubbles, which had Ree worried for a moment, but she never got out of hand with them.

"Vee-vee, snivy?" Whippy asked with a yawn, tongue flicking out.

"Uh."

"Min! Minccino-chee," Mitzi replied cheerfully and dumped little pawfuls of water on his tail to rinse off the soap. It was so sweet it was nearly giving Ree cavities. She wasn't sure how she was going to handle a couple on her team. They'd behaved so far, but they had also had distractions like Whippy's injury and battling to separate them.

"Oh, you better evolve soon, mister. Once you do, we'll go tackle Burgh, and then get out here. Hopefully Maya will be none the wiser." Ree sighed and gave them all a rinse again, even if Harper didn't like it very much. Four pokémon, two badges. Readying for her third badge of eight. Eight months to go. She sighed again and set her cheek on the cool edge of the tub. She felt so worn out. "Hopefully."

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Scott, Maya, and Ree are all in the same city. _That'll_ go over well. Ree fights to stay one step ahead of the non-trainer life she left behind, but that's not to say she's the only one with problems. Kev still needs a job if he wants to stay in the country, and Harry... I suppose the greatest question of all is whether or not Ree is ready for Burgh—and if he's ready for her.


	13. Of Sweetness

Harry followed the nurse into a back area of the pokémon center. It was actually outside the building, but there was a large deck and overhang, and several smaller pens on the inside of the hallway leading out. An audino was prancing back and forth, replacing water bottles for the smaller pokémon in their inside pens. There were so many! Not that she was set on choosing one; she was just there to look. Maybe she could volunteer there for a little while and see if that helped ease her mind.

At thirteen, she knew she was in the minority of kids her age without a pokémon. It wasn't as if she was avoiding training. Harry just wasn't sure where to get her first pokémon. She knew there were options, and advantages to each, but she wasn't sure. Catch one? Go to Nuvema and ask the professor? There was an adoption center in town, but she still wasn't sure. And there were so _many_ types of pokémon, too. It certainly didn't make the decision any easier.

"Do you have anything in mind?" the nurse asked kindly, making her jump. She quickly shook her head.

"I'm just—um, looking." The outside area was larger and had a little pond, with a couple different types of pokémon. A munna toddled past, pausing to smile blandly up at the two humans, and then continued on its way. A tranquill and a woobat bickered overhead, squeaking and squawking. There was a sandile sunning itself near the corner of the enclosure. This would have a larger selection of pokémon, and potentially ones she wouldn't be able to easily find elsewhere. And she'd be giving a pokémon a home! She just didn't know.

Then she saw a small blitzle with its side pressed up against the fence, looking nervously at the two humans in its space. It had big, worried eyes, hooves scuffling the grass. And Harry was sold.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirteen**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Sweetness

-.-.-

Ree had had to turn off her phone during the night. Maya had to have tattled on her. She'd gotten half a dozen calls from her and Scott alone in the time it took her to brush her teeth and dig through her shopping bags to get out her new pajamas. The next morning, she only had three voice messages—two from an irate Maya and one from a confused Scott. They must have given up after trying so often.

If only they'd just get the message.

"I suppose a normal breakfast is out of the question..." Kev said and sighed. Ree nodded, mouth a firm line, and stuffed her things back into her backpack. "Ree, this isn't very practical."

"Don't you have an interview today?"

"Not for a couple hours. I have time to bother you until then."

"Guys, not so early, _please_," Harry yawned from the bathroom, toothbrush in hand.

"I _know_ Maya's down there camping again. You two will be safe—just don't you _dare_ tell on me—but I'm headed out the window again."

"You'll get us kicked out of here yet. I thought the point of your excursion yesterday was to create a disguise? Why not test it in the center, where she _knows_ you are anyway, and where there's a crowd around to make sure you both behave?" Kev suggested. Harry leaned back out to look at Ree hopefully.

She had to give in. "_Fiiine_. Breakfast down in the mess hall, but I'm bringing Sophia." She grabbed her bat and stood up, peering over the edge of the top bunk, where Lala was still sleeping. "Hey, wake up, sleepyhead. Breakfast time."

"Scott," she hissed and curled up tighter.

"Breakfast. Food. Come on, get up," Ree repeated and poked her with the bat. Lala rolled over and grabbed it, but Ree had enough muscle to thankfully prevent her from taking Sophia altogether. "Food! We're earlier than usual, so they'll probably have plenty of those spicy little sausages you like so much."

Lala eyed her, clearly torn between more sleeping and delicious food.

Ree decided to sweeten the deal. "More training today, too. Don't you want to show off your groomed fluff and beat up more little kids' pokémon?"

The whimsicott was up almost at once. Ree grinned and returned her, slipping her into the pocket with the other pokeballs. It was so much easier to control them when she figured out how she could bribe them. Maybe _that's_ what being a trainer was all about.

_So Whippy likes sweet things and Lala's spicy... I need to figure out a treat scheme for the other two, too_, she thought and knelt back down to pull on her shoes. Or maybe she could use Whippy to help corral Mitzi. But Harper and Mitzi were hardly the problem. "We're going down in _disguise_. Maya's an early riser, so she's probably already eaten. Fuck, I hope so. That means she'll probably be in the lobby, which means if we can get past her, we get to eat. This'll be a test, so don't think you've won," she said and pointed at Kev with Sophia.

"All great theories require testing, don't they? Think of it as a stealth level. Don't get noticed." Oh, that's right—he was a gamer too. With all of the training and injuries and drama, she'd forgotten that that was how he'd gotten dragged in with them.

Ree managed to hook the end of her bat into her belt loop. It banged against her thigh when she walked too fast, but it didn't hurt. It just wouldn't do for long distances. She put on her large sunglasses, ran a hand through her short hair, and marched valiantly out into the hall. And nearly ran into a young blonde girl.

After sorting out who stepped on whose foot and whether or not all parties were okay, Ree _really_ set out for the cafeteria. She didn't want to spend too much time in there, just in case Maya did go looking, but she was doing pretty good with remembering what her pokémon liked. She could get food for them, then release them, and let them eat while she grabbed her stuff. Then they'd be done about the same time, and they could book it out of there. Foolproof plan.

Except the lobby. Ree walked about half a step behind Kev, eyes scouring the area for her sister. It was just beginning to get busy, but there was still plenty of open space and not hard to pick out someone if you were searching. She didn't see Maya right away, which made her worry about whether or not she was eating in the mess hall. That would be even worse!

As it turned out, the proverbial rug pulled out from her yet again as she had forgotten about the other threat. They were halfway across the lobby when the glass doors slid open to reveal a tired-looking boy with long, blond hair, aviator sunglasses, and a panting gigalith following him in.

Ree literally leapt for the hallway again, except Sophia banged into her leg and she took a tumble, taking Kev with her. Dignity gone and panic taking its place, she didn't even care about that and practically crawled to the safety of the hallway once more. Scott walked in and returned Vince before reaching the counter; it looked as if he hadn't noticed or recognized them. Massaging her bruised leg, she glared out at her boyfriend. Of course.

"Fuck this, I'm going out into the city to battle," she hissed and bolted as silently as she could for the stairs, careful to hold Sophia away from herself. By the time her companions caught back up with her in the room, reasons why it was okay and why she should probably talk to him at the ready, she had already changed clothes, packed all of her day things, and was tying the rope to a bedpost in order to repel out the window.

"Ree, you shouldn't avoid him! We can just go _talk_ to him about all of this, and it'll turn out okay!" Harry said at once, turning between packing her things and dragging Ree back in. "Oh, gosh, Ree, I just wish this could still end happily..."

"For god's sake, at least _don't_ go leaving out the window like a thief in a _black _hoodie!" Kev added severely as Ree pulled the hood up over her hair.

"Why?" she asked, temporarily halted by the out-of-the-blue remark.

"I guess the day is supposed to get rather warm," Harry pointed out, looking sideways at him as he buried his face in his hands. Ree, feet still dangling out the window, tore the jacket off and threw it at him. "Ree, please! Think about this for a moment!"

"I am! He'll find Maya eventually, and that'll keep them both busy, and I imagine they'll continue to camp out here. So I'm going out to take down every small child with a pokeball until Whippy evolves, I'm gonna trounce Burgh, and then I'm getting the fuck out of here!" Ree announced and wiggled out the window again. She paused, halfway out, and looked up at Kev. "You better get that job today because either tonight or tomorrow, I'm out of here."

"Kicked to the curb. Ouch," he said dryly and crossed his arms.

"You were only along for the ride, and you said you wanted to settle back down and get a job. Aren't you?"

"Yes, but..."

"Don't fight!" Harry broke in shrilly, stepping in between them. "Um, Ree's right—for _now_! Kev, you do need to look nice for your interview, and you want to concentrate on that. And it's okay if Ree trains more today, though she _shouldn't_ be skipping breakfast."

"Should I give the baby doctor a call?" Kev asked and took out his phone, eyebrows raised. Ree hissed at him. "I know, I'm sorry I'm overstaying my welcome. Feel free to go out and do Unovan things without me, I'll be fine in the room with my dark thoughts as company."

"Cry about it! Just get out the fucking window or stay inside, I don't care! I don't want my ass hanging out here all day!" Ree shouted and finally clambered down out the window. She was pleased when she saw him following Harry down, though he looked out of place in his dressy outfit. At least next to the two dressed as actual trainers.

"Kev, you can stay with us as long as you'd like. Ree is just stressed with her silly hiding and secrets," Harry said, loudly enough to be overheard. As was intended, Ree was sure. She ignored them and marched onward, eyes peeled for someone to battle.

"I just wish she wouldn't act so rashly. I _do_ plan on leaving you two once I secure a job here, but I hadn't been aware she'd been waiting with bated breath," he replied, just as loudly.

"That seems to be her thing. I'm going to miss you when you leave, though. You've been nice to have along."

"It looks as if all parties wouldn't agree with that."

"...Aside from when you two needle each other."

"I can't hear you!" Ree burst out and clamped her hands over her ears. Harry did say something else, but it was muffled enough that she really couldn't make her out. She hadn't meant to be mean to Kev, and she wasn't sure she actually wanted their fragile little group to be broken up so soon. But he was supposed to have other priorities, and he was ignoring his to pick on hers.

Ree did manage to pick a couple battles while waiting in line for some ice cream, and Lala seemed grateful for the exercise. But she had to divide the battling between her team. Mitzi needed it to catch up _and_ help Whippy evolve, and Harper was going to be the biggest help with the next gym battle, so she was going to need some polishing, too. Kev awkwardly excused himself just before lunch for his interview, leaving the two girls alone.

And the first thing Harry did was whirl around on her and declare, "You _will_ miss him! I can tell you're going to."

"Never said I wouldn't, but we've only known each other for so long."

"You trusted him with your secret."

"The situation was a _little_ pressing. I think I would've been fine if only you had known," Ree replied dryly.

"You two like to bicker with each other, and you'll miss having someone to argue with," Harry shot back, eyes on her shoes. "You like him, don't you?"

Ree snorted into her fast food lunch. "I _have_ a boyfriend."

"One that you're actively avoiding, Ree."

"I'm having his baby, aren't I?"

"Ree, I was just—I'm sorry. I-I shouldn't have pried," Harry mumbled and poked at her salad.

"No, I'm not mad at you," she replied, guilty. "It's just... I left behind my family, my sister, my boyfriend, all my friends I'd known for years and years to start this journey. I've known him all of a week. Even with the trauma of bonding—or bonding by trauma, whatever—I'm not going to shed tears at saying goodbye."

"Oh."

"And he's a fucker who acts cryptic for his own amusement," she added.

"No, he just comes from a rough past," Harry said sympathetically. "Most trainers, and the people who quit training, have things they'd rather not talk about. Like you and your... p-pregnancy issue."

"Wait, Kev was a trainer? What have you two been talking about behind my back?" Ree asked suddenly, realizing that they may not have been discussing her as often as she'd thought. And he had been a _trainer_! That liar.

"H-He was—years ago. Visoka hasn't been a trained pokémon, it wasn't like he was lying! We just... Well, _we_ can hold a civilized conversation without it falling into an argument or debate," Harry said, tone prim, and she stuffed a forkful of greens into her mouth to prevent Ree from demanding more information. Ree replied by waiting her out, leaned in, eyes wide, innocent smile in place. "Ree, shouldn't you be talking to _him_ about himself?"

"I don't think you get the point of this gossip shit, Harry dear."

"I'm not one to gossip." And that was the end of the discussion about their other companion, though Ree caught Harry giving her strange sidelong glances for quite awhile after that. Which was even weirder because it wasn't like Ree was the one keeping secrets. ...Not from her, at any rate.

Ree checked her silenced phone. Another call, another one from Scott. Maya had probably found him by then, but at least it'd only be one generalized threat to avoid... Hopefully. She wasn't sure when she'd go back to texting them again; she didn't like _completely_ ignoring them both. Maybe when she was halfway across the country. Which unfortunately meant getting her snoozing snivy to evolve and then take on the bug master of the region.

She plopped herself on the nearest bench and set her chin in her hands. Battles got repetitive, and not all of them were the pulse-pounding, nail-biting, adrenaline-rushing ones she'd become accustomed to in movies. This was the first time she'd actively had to train for hours on end, especially in an area like Castelia. There were plenty of trainers about, sure, but it was a big enough city that it had plenty of kids, too, which meant little snots with one weak pokémon that Mitzi could easily stomp into the pavement. It was hardly worth it, but with so many trainers in the same rough age group, it was hard to distinguish them all, and it wasn't worth it to ignore them all.

Even Mitzi's divine tickling ability was starting to get old. It still surprised opponents, true. But it wasn't the same. Harry was having more luck; she wasn't as keen on battling so often, anyway, but Jackster's skittishness lowered him to closer to the average levels around there. Ree knew she could always try heading north, or even back towards the forest and camp there for a few days, but she _liked _having indoor plumbing and already-cooked food. And it wasn't like wild pokémon were a better source of growth...

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Ree checked. A text from Maya. She didn't bother opening or reading it, knowing what it'd most likely contain. Ignore them both until she was out of the city... But would that be too much of a giveaway? Ignore them for longer? Or start talking to them now, try to assuage some worries and fears, calm them down and talk them off her trail? Those sorts of things weren't her forte.

Ree groaned and stood up, picking Whippy, who'd been napping in her lap, up in her arms. She noticed with disdain that she was cradling him like a baby—but she didn't want to shift him. He could wake up. Mitzi looked up at her with shining eyes, all pride and eagerness. "No! No!" she cried, scampering in circles around her boots.

"Good job, missy," Ree said idly as the young trainer came over and paid her her winnings. She looked around for Harry, and spotted her just down the street, trying to push Jackster into another battle. At least he was getting a workout, too. They may be losing Kev, but Ree could shape Harry into a proper trainer yet.

She didn't notice the glowing or the sudden wake-up of her snivy. Ree didn't notice a single thing until he squirmed and changed, suddenly much heavier, and she fell over. She rolled over onto her side, blinking at the green thing standing next to her. He looked down at his claws, longer (but arms shorter), and then twisted his spine at an impossible angle. He coiled around until she was sure he'd turn into a slinky or re-injure himself, but Whippy uncurled and then looked at her with slightly narrower red eyes.

"...Did you just evolve and _fuck did I just miss it_." Ree sat up, peering down at him. He was definitely larger. He had a growth on his head! Kinda like a horn, she decided, and poked it. The yellow crest on his chest had grown, and he had several leaf-like ridges down his back now, too. That was definitely not a snivy anymore. "...No." She could _not _have just missed her starter's first evolution. Hell, _her _first evolution! "_No_. Go back and do it again!"

Whippy stared up at her. His fangs were more prominent now, but it looked like he couldn't (as easily) pull off the kicked lillipup look he'd been so fond of. Taught him right, evolving without notifying her first.

"Do. It. Again. Go back and do it again." Ree took out her phone and hit the camcorder button, pointing it at him. It wasn't as if she really expected him to do something, but damn it all, she was really kicking herself for missing that. Mitzi sidled up into view of the shot, looking up at the now-larger servine. At once, Whippy grinned suavely—well, at least some things hadn't changed—and took her into his paws, giving her a twirl before picking her up and hauling her off.

And Ree was sitting on the dirty sidewalk in Castelia City, phone recording, and unable to believe she had just missed the first hallmark of her stupid journey.

And she had a feeling she was sitting in gum, too.

-.-.-

"So, how did your interview go?" Harry asked over an early dinner that night.

Ree immediately interrupted and thrust a pokeball in Kev's face. "Fuck that, look what I got." She released Whippy onto the table near her elbow, and true to form, he twisted and stretched and showed off his shiny new scales. Kev had the decency to look mildly impressed.

"I'm glad to see he's healed up nicely." He watched as the new servine hopped off the table and went looking for the pokémon food. He sighed heavily and then looked back up at the girls. "To answer your question, Harry, not well. I'm not hopeful for this particular job."

"Aw, I'm sorry. That's too bad," Harry said sympathetically. Ree grunted in something like agreement. If he didn't have a job, then he wouldn't be leaving... yet. It wasn't like she was waiting for their little group to break up. But he needed a job if he wanted to stay in the country.

"The gym here is open well into the night, so are you still going to challenge Burgh today?" Kev asked Ree, head tilted to one side as he continued to look at the servine.

"I'd like to. I mean, the sun's not even set yet, and he's been super feisty since he evolved. Harper and Mitzi have been doing well, too, so I think they'll be able to pull their weight." While grass wasn't very good against bug pokémon, they were the two evolved ones, so she wasn't worried about their odds. And Harper had pulled through with Lenora's match, so she could obviously work under pressure.

"The gym!" Harry said suddenly, both of her companions jumping at her volume. It wasn't often she was very loud. "Kev, you could apply to work at the gym! You already have the experience!"

"I've... thought about it, but I haven't formally applied yet."

"You can do it tonight! In person, with Ree! Don't employers like it when you show initiative?" He nodded and Harry clasped her hands together in excitement. "We can help you get a job yet!"

"Is that allowed? I mean... You kinda got kicked out of one gym already," Ree asked practically, gesturing to him with her fork. He glared at her, clearly wondering whose fault that was.

"Lenora and I didn't part on sour terms, it was just... A shortcut she didn't approve of. She places a lot of value on research and learning, and I already knew the answers to the questions I asked."

"Aren't you supposed to?"

"We're supposed to come up with questions we're interested in, but don't know much about. Then we learn as we find out the answers," Kev replied. "It's like homework on rotation. I wasn't the first to cut corners, and I doubt I'll be the last, but it was sloppy and my own fault. I doubt she would prevent me from getting a job in another city because of it."

"It's worth a shot!" Harry declared. She shoveled her mashed potatoes into a large pile and scooped up a large chunk. "You two, eat! You need to go to Burgh tonight, and you'll need your energy for him!" And then she chowed down. Ree and Kev couldn't help but watch. Until she looked up at them with a firm, serious look, cheeks full of food, and they hurriedly set about to finish their own meals. Ree nudged Whippy's tail with her foot to encourage them, too.

Harry had clearly taken to this idea of two pidove with one stone. She even went with Ree's neurosis and played spy for her: Ree wouldn't go into the pokémon center lobby until she was positive Maya and Scott were nowhere in sight. Harry volunteered for the scouting mission, and spotted the two in the cafeteria with their teams. Ree was pretty sure the nurse had never been urged to heal her pokémon so quickly. Pokémon in tow, Ree and Harry sprinted back out of the lobby to where Kev was waiting outside, laughing nervously, and the trio trekked out into the early nightlife of Castelia City.

Ree wanted to take on a couple challengers before the gym, just to polish, but Kev and Harry both talked her down. "You barely squeaked by Lenora," he pointed out.

"And Burgh can be tough if you're not prepared for him."

"But I have a strong team! He only has three pokémon, right?"

"But one is fully evolved," Harry retorted cryptically. "Just save it for him. You wouldn't want an accident and have someone else break something, would you?"

"No..." But Ree didn't feel right. Even with Whippy evolving, there wasn't that take-on-the-world excitement that she felt when storming Lenora's gym. This felt like another whim, and not a particularly exhilarating one. She hoped the gym turned out to be fun in itself, though with the last gimmick... She didn't have high hopes. Then again, she'd always have some gym trainers to stomp into the ground with her brand new servine to get the blood pumping.

The gym was lit up with neon and bright lights, standing out even amongst the other lights in the city night. There were plenty of signs and a couple trainers filing in and out, though the ones coming out didn't seem to be particularly happy. Maybe Burgh _was_ tougher than she'd been thinking. Wait... was that girl's hair _dripping_?

"Oh... I had almost forgotten about _that_..." Kev murmured with a grimace.

"Huh? What?"

"Kev, you go in with Ree. She'll get to Burgh, no problem, and you can talk to him after her battle. Ree, I'm going to do you a huge favor, okay?" Harry said as they approached the open doors. There was a shriek from inside. The double doors were wide open, but the hallway turned sharply right not far in, keeping the gym's secrets safe from view.

Ree suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.

"I got past Burgh on my second try, but I think you'll be able to beat him if you just keep focused and he doesn't get lucky. Harper will help a lot," Harry continued as she led them in. Kev seemed very reluctant for some reason. Ree was beginning to get skittish herself.

"I'm not a trainer, is there another—" Harry whirled around on Kev before he could finish his statement.

"You are going to go in there with her as a show of faith, and you will keep her on track!" she said, almost scarily.

Ree was definitely having second thoughts.

Then they turned the corner and came up to a wall of... something. No, it wasn't a wall. It was another hallway, but _something_ yellowish was oozing down in a sheet between the actual walls. Some sort of... gate? Ree wasn't quite sure what she was seeing. She had heard old friends talk about Burgh's gym with varying levels of disapproval, but it had never been anything concrete. The walls on either side were made to look like a dark, rich wood, with little bits of leaves and fake branches here and there along the ceiling as decoration. The walls themselves were smooth; no evidence of a latch, or button, or anything to get past the dripping wall of gold.

"Ree, the first one is the worst. I'll help you, okay?" Harry said and grabbed her upper arms, bracing and warm and so helpful. Ree turned to her, expectant and glad to have a comparative veteran with her.

And then Harry tossed her through the oozing mass of not-wall.

Ree stumbled through, staying on her feet, and her first impression was _sticky_. Slightly wet, but not quite liquid. Sticky and thick and smelling cloyingly sweet. The stuff dripped thickly off of her short hair, her chin, her arms, down her legs. Her backpack was stuck to her back. It was running down inside the tops of her boots. It dribbled off her fingertips onto the floor below, which was also covered with the stuff and several sets of equally yellow footprints leading away.

Kev was thrown through behind her, landing against the wall and half-slipping down to one knee. He wiped his wrist across his eyes and glared daggers back, where Harry was already obscured from view by more drips of the not-wall.

"The first one is the hardest, I promise! You're already dirty and gross, so just go through to the end! You'll do fine, and I'll wait out here!" Harry called encouragingly from the other side. "Knock 'em dead, Ree! And Kev, you get that job!"

Kev shook his hands, splattering the floor with more. The smell was getting to be unbearable, and the thinner parts of the coating was starting to dry a little, sticking to her face and arms like it was comfortable and lounging and hey, we're just going to be here for awhile.

Ree finally placed the sickly smell. She was covered in honey.

She screamed.

-.-.-

The gym turned out to be _quite_ novel in several ways. The first gate of golden horror was not the only one. Far from it. After the second one, Ree realized that the first coat had hardened and dried _just _enough that this was a whole other coat, adding to the weight all over and she realized that this was _not a good thing_. The pair sprinted to the next gate, blatantly ignoring the gym trainer.

The other way that the gym counted as a slightly entertaining new experience was that they had an escort.

Ree had screamed so loudly, and it was followed by such an obscene barrage of swearing and cursing, that she had been told to quiet down. She told them where they could shove their honey. And what they could do with their mother, father, starter pokémon, and, for good measure, grandmother. She was told to be quiet again, and she wasn't, and soon enough, they had a gym trainer following them around, occasionally shushing her and making sure she didn't swear too much in front of the younger challengers.

Which meant that the poor sap had to follow them through the honey gates.

In a way, Ree was spitefully pleased. She could take not only Kev, but another down with her into honeyed, sticky hell! But it wasn't helping her case. She was still feeling bogged down, it was drying again uncomfortably on her skin and was going to stay there for awhile, her outfit and backpack _had_ to be totaled, and by god, she would kill someone the next time a pokeball stuck to her hand due to the honey.

"Burgh, I am going to fucking _murder_ you!" she screamed after the third gate.

"I can _hear_ you, and quit your bitching, girl! There are other challengers in here, too!" came the shouted reply. He actually didn't sound all that far away. Their escort blushed beneath the honey on her cheeks and ducked down in embarrassment. Kev gave a quiet chuckle, the first sound he'd made it through the second gate.

She nearly lost her footing right past the fourth honey not-wall, her boot slipping on a patch as her hand stuck to the wall. She didn't know how this had gotten clear of... whatever laws ran the gym system. Unless they didn't have any? It would explain how he had gotten away with making his challengers coat themselves with honey. What if it was some sort of sick fetish? Ree slipped again, landing against the wall with a grunt.

This was the most nightmarish building in all of Unova, she realized.

They half-ran, half-dragged themselves past the next gym trainer. Their escort made a little sound like what Jackster occasionally made to voice displeasure. Through the honey, Kev paused and looked back. "They're not following us."

"If you work here, do _you_ want to chase kids through this shit?" Ree replied, a little breathless from the running and weight on her. Hopefully she could sit down for the battle, though maybe that'd result in her drying and sticking to the floor.

"They're like video game enemies. Don't follow you into any new areas, can't go through doorways," he said with a weak, sad little laugh. Ree couldn't help but laugh as well. One of her favorite pastimes was annoying enemies and taunting them from just outside their zone, and while it meant they couldn't point and laugh at anyone working in the gym save their poor escort, it was something.

"I just hope the boss fight is soon, then," she mumbled and tried to shake off as much as the honey as she could. Thank god her hair was shorter; she couldn't imagine having long hair, bogged down by all of it. She wondered how Maya had gotten through this, or even Scott. Or Harry, or _anyone_, because the Castelia gym had to be the most disgusting place ever.

Ree was thankful to everything ever when they went through the last sheet of dripping honey into a large enclosure with a very irate man in the middle. He was fashionable and clearly annoyed, and so enviably honey-free. She lunged at him with a screech of, "I'll fucking kill you, asshat!" Kev grabbed her around the middle and hauled her back against the wall, sticking them both there.

"So _you're_ the one making that dreadful noise," Burgh noted with disdain. He sighed, uncrossed his arms, and stepped off of the battling platform. "I have half a mind to make you battle like that, girlie, so start showing some manners."

"Sir, I'm sorry, I tried to get her to quiet down," their poor escort piped up, dripping pathetically.

"It's fine. I'm used to some interesting reactions, but damn girl, you have some lungs." Burgh paused, seemingly noticing the young man restraining her for the first time. "Two challengers?"

"I'm here as her leash and to ask for a job," Kev said thickly as the pair tried to detach themselves. Ree wasn't going to tear Burgh limb from limb; she would stomp him into the ground, grab the badge, and get the hell out of there. She'd never have to return or think about this nightmare again. She was already tired of it.

"A job?"

"I've worked at Lenora's gym before, for several years, so I have experience!" Kev added and gave Ree a look as she tried to wipe herself off on the wall. "Stop that," he hissed.

"Bite me."

"I can always use more help. I don't know why, but it seems like the turnover rate for trainers in this gym is high," Burgh said thoughtfully. The escort behind them sighed heavily. Yes, it was very difficult to see why someone wouldn't want to work there for long periods of time.

"I-I'm not a trainer. I was a receptionist for Lenora, but I have many skills outside of training."

"You're conducting an interview covered in sticky shit," Ree pointed out in annoyance. "I want to get this goddamn battle over with, and I can leave you here afterward. Burgh, come on and battle me!" She dug a pokeball out of her pocket and tried to pry it off of her hand. It stuck with admirable loyalty. She growled and fought with it, but there was just so much honey covering her, no matter how she tried to pry it off, it'd just stick to somewhere else. She ended up a tangle of yellow and sweet smell and snarling and swearing.

"Girl, calm your tits already. I offer showers here," Burgh cut in. Ree looked up at him in surprise, still laying on the floor. Or possibly stuck to it.

Wait. He was going to offer them cleanliness the entire time and had waited until now to mention it? "My tits are calm, but you show me the showers right this fucking minute or I swear I'll—"

"Thank you," Kev interrupted and hauled her to her feet. Burgh waved to a door on the back wall and their escort led them to it. It made some degree of sense that they wouldn't be expected to battle a gym leader while heavily coated in his own goddamn honey, but Ree felt relieved all the same.

"Why the fuck does he even _do _that?" she growled as the escort showed Kev the men's room. She then led Ree towards the locker room for girls—and she realized that her clothes were going to be wet, too. Supposing she could even get the honey out. Was it water soluble?

"He gets his models that way. He's an artist—very good, too. He has paintings and drawings in museums all over the world."

"Models?" Ree asked. The escort had to actually help her peel her clothes off—and vice versa—but her poor, new clothes...

"Oh, don't worry. We'll clean your clothes for you, and we have a special wardrobe for challengers to wear while we do so. It usually doesn't take longer than the battle, since he's very tough," she replied and scraped one of her socks off. "We have a specialized cleaning formula that's extra-strong against honey and the sugar in it."

"No, you said something about models," Ree pressed and looked at her backpack. What about the stuff inside? A lot of it was okay since she hadn't opened it except to get her pokeballs out after the first honey tragedy, but still.

"Who better to draw than the trainers of Unova? It's completely optional and can burn up time if the battle doesn't take as long as anticipated. And as much as he and Elesa love each other, he hates that all the models these days are so thin. That's why he's decided to draw non-professionals and all body types until she can start to do something about it."

"This guy has a freaky fetish. And I thought Elesa was single?" The tabloids would be all over it if the famous gym leader was dating again. Not to mention the vibe she'd gotten from Burgh.

Her escort sighed. "I'm not here to give you his biography. I don't know all that much about him myself, actually. I haven't been working here very long."

Ree squeaked as she tore her pants trying to get them off.

"We can mend your clothes, too. Or replace them," the girl said quickly.

"This is the stupidest fucking gym ever!"

"It's entertaining," she replied and they had finally managed to drag themselves to the showers. Ree was beyond caring about nudity or shame. It was an open, communal shower, but it had hot water and a specialized shampoo to get it all out of her hair. It came out much easier than she'd expected.

As Ree rinsed off, delighting in the sensation of feeling clean again, she wondered idly when her stomach would start to show the baby inside. She couldn't tell if she had gained any weight yet, but living as a trainer probably hadn't done any favors for her diet. Once she did start showing, she'd get all kinds of weird questions, and if she ever ran into anyone she knew...

"Our clothes are being washed now, and you can choose any clothes you'd like in the wardrobe. It's the darker wood door on the other side of the lockers," the other girl said and Ree grabbed her towel. It even had a yellowish color with a sewaddle design along one end. She felt slightly disgusted touching it.

She had to give them props for the slick operation, though. The honey was weird and gross and horrible, but he got drawing models from it, and at least they took care of their own mess. Then again, if they hadn't, she was fairly certain she would have attempted to burn down the building with everyone still inside.

Her backpack had been emptied and everything that was still clean was laying on one of the benches. She rinsed off the pokeballs with the sink and noted happily that not much had suffered inside her backpack. A shirt, a bra, and the cover of one of her books, and the clothes had been sent with the others to get cleaned (along with Sophia). She wiped off the book as best she could, but she had a feeling it'd always be a little discolored and sticky.

"Honey is a kinky fetish to have in the gym," Ree mumbled as the escort came out, towel wrapped firmly around herself.

"Just go get dressed and stop being so sour."

Ree had been okay with that plan up until the point where she actually saw what she was supposed to be wearing. Most of the clothes didn't qualify as 'normal'. She understood the model thing, she really did. She understood borrowing clothes and she understood having variety. "What the fuck am I supposed to be _wearing_ in here?"

"Whatever you'd like and whatever will fit!"

Ree glared at the racks of clothes. Decent selection, but she didn't feel too keen on much of it. There were several articles that could only be described as costumes, and many more from different historical periods and cultures. There were two full ballroom gowns, a fur-lined robe, a pair of overalls with a red shirt that reminded her suspiciously of a famous video game character, a tunic that seemed to have come right out of the Middle Ages, three kimonos from Johto, and a literal rainbow of scarves on a rack in the corner. There were shirts, skirts, dresses, and pants in every color and fabric she could think of, except what she'd been hoping for—jeans and a t-shirt.

"It's only for a battle. You could have fun with it. A lot of kids do. It's dress-up _and_ a challenge, so..." The escort followed her in and immediately picked a flapper-era dress off of the wall. And for good measure, plucked a headband off of the rack next to it, too. "Most people pay to dress up like this."

"Yeah, well..." Ree spluttered for a moment. It wasn't as if she disliked clothes. It wasn't as if she didn't _occasionally _like dressing up as something different. But that was for Halloween and painfully formal occasions. She didn't see very many casual clothes, and even less that seemed like they'd be comfortable.

Actually, looking at the far wall, she was sure some of those actually _were_ Halloween costumes.

"Are the boys in the same position?" she asked pathetically, looking around for the lesser of the evils. Wait, what if she came out naked or just in the towel?

"Yes, the guys have to wear similar sorts of clothes."

So she wouldn't be in this alone. Thinking of Kev in the same boat gave her some confidence back. She could do this. After all—Harry, Maya, Scott, they all would've had to have done this at some point. It was just a dress-up game, complete with violence.

"Go big or go home," she mumbled to herself and approached the nearest rack of clothes.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Gym battle at last! Will she win, will she lose? Will it mean she can finally leave Castelia? Even if it means leaving Maya and Scott, what about Kev? Ree's team has changed again with Whippy's evolution, but how much will it actually change? So many questions to be answered!


	14. Of Departures

"I really appreciate this, Thomas," Erik Majors said jovially, clapping his old friend on the back.

"Hey, no problem. I'd rather be making trips like this than getting shot at and attacked any day."

"Is it really that bad out there? Why don't you take more time off? After..." Erik trailed off awkwardly as he realized the landmine he'd accidentally stumbled upon.

Thomas knelt down beside his beheeyem, clearly avoiding eye contact, and pretended to check over his pokémon. The awkward silence was saved as the two Majors girls ran up, all excitement and ignorance and demands. "Hurry up and take her!" Ree shouted and shoved a blushing Maya at the man. "I wanna get this started already!"

"I wouldn't call this work, Erik," Thomas said with a forced smile. "Just a quick trip." He donned his goggles and grabbed hold of Maya's shoulder, then held out his other hand for his pokémon to grasp. They disappeared.

Erik had to keep his other daughter and her brand new pokémon busy while her sister got her starter in Nuvema. Neither Ree nor Maya had wanted to start from Nuvema, and instead wanted to work their way backwards. And, he suspected, head for Castelia for a shopping trip first. But Maya had insisted on a lab pokémon, whereas Ree was content with catching a local one. He was just lucky Thomas was part of the Unovan Field Operations. They were mostly there for emergencies and policing outside of cities, but Thomas had been given some time off after a personal loss.

Erik caught Ree around the waist and lifted her into the air, much to her annoyance. "Dad_dy_! I'm too old for this and I'm a kickass trainer now! Put me down!"

"Language, young lady," he said and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He hugged her tightly, still holding her, until she managed to kick him in the side hard enough to warrant letting her go again.

Just over forty-five minutes later, Thomas reappeared with his beheeyem and a beaming Maya. She immediately set about to showing off her little snivy, whom she'd named Bo. Ree wanted to set off immediately; Maya wanted to stay and introduce Bo to Aubie. The two men watched as they bickered, until Maya won out and they scampered off inside. "I wish she hadn't chosen such a difficult pokémon, but I guess they'll be okay together. Sorry, Thomas."

"It's okay. I'm more worried about Lenore, but I'm okay, Erik. I just want to get back to work." Thomas watched as the girls ran back outside, keeping their small pokémon away from the liepard. He sighed and rubbed at his eyes. "I hate these goddamn goggles, I wish they'd just let me wear my glasses. Only thing I hate about this job, I swear."

"Aside from getting shot at and attacked regularly?"

"That's usually just kids and hotheads. Most of the professionals duck under the radar and frankly, I'd prefer if they stayed that way. I don't want to end up like Gallagher. This country can suck it if they think I'll stick my nose into the dirty business, so babysitting your girls is a perk. It's the goddamn goggles I hate. Anyway, I'm off. Gotta pretend like I'm doing something productive." His beheeyem screeched in a laugh and danced out of the way as Aubie chased the two girls past.

-.-.-

**Chapter Fourteen**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Departures

-.-.-

As soon as Kev saw what Ree had proudly marched out in, his jaw dropped. "Of course." Burgh nodded thoughtfully, looking her up and down. "You're really going to battle like that?"

"How else am I supposed to? It's not like _I'm_ the one kicking his ass, anyway," she replied and strutted out into the challenger's box. She was still in her towel, wrapped snugly around her and probably not covering as much as it ought to, barefoot and still damp in places. The only things she had taken with her from the wardrobe room were a black silk top hat and a matching black tie.

Ree felt damn fancy, too.

Kev himself was dressed in an amusingly familiar green tunic getup, a plastic sword strapped to his back to boot. Apparently he'd thought to have some fun with it, too.

"We'll see how that works out for you. I must admit, girl, I'm pretty excited for this battle. You have all of the bugs in the gym all hyped up. I do hope you're not afraid of them," he said with a thin smile. He probably got a ton of kids who were scared of bugs, but Ree was made out of stronger stuff. Not to mention she needed revenge for the honey.

"I think I'll survive, but I sure hope you're not afraid of anything." Because a fluffy cottony creature and a fluffy tickle monster were truly horrifying. She could only hope he was scared of reptiles or had a neurosis about birds. Ree spread her arms wide. "Come at me, bro."

He put his hands up. "Hold up. How about we raise the stakes?"

"...A bet?"

"Sure, why not?"

"...I'm listening," Ree said guardedly.

"A prize. Beyond money and drawing and a pretty badge." He definitely had her attention. "The pretty one with you. If you beat me, I'll hire him. If not, then you both get booted out through the honey."

"M-Me?" Kev squawked and skittered back.

"You're going to hinge his job on a battle?" Ree echoed in shock.

"Don't bug out." Ah, puns. At least Lenora hadn't made puns. She could hardly remember Chili. "You seemed so confident before, honey."

"I _am_ confident!" Ree shot back. She glanced back at Kev. She hadn't lost a gym battle yet, and her team outnumbered Burgh's. But she didn't like stakes that weren't hers to wager. He still looked a little scared, but he gave her a little nod. "Okay, bring it on."

After a wink for Kev, Burgh tossed a pokeball out into the arena. Ree wasted no time in maximizing Mitzi's ball and releasing her as well. The gym's arena was a bit on the small side, but it wasn't in a restaurant or library, so there was that. Mitzi ran in a little circle and gave her big ears a scratch, then looked back at Ree with a big smile. "Min?"

Ree realized that for the first time, she would have a pokémon that would follow her commands for the beginning of a gym battle. She couldn't help but let out a giggle. "O-Okay, Mitzi, use your secret weapon!"

Her enemy, a whirlipede, was bigger, but she was faster. She leapt over its swipe and plunged her little paws into the softer flesh between its armor, and then began tickling away. The bug wiggled, making a shrill whine, and then fell over and started laughing in earnest.

Before it could recover or thrash her off, Mitzi leapt away with a confident laugh of her own. Her foe was off guard and it set the bar for the match. Burgh crossed his arms and frowned seriously. "I see. You're not just another pretty face, very good. But neither am I. Whirlipede, pursuit!"

It lunged at her and Mitzi ran for it, but with a burst of speed, it rolled over and slammed into her. They both skidded to a halt across the field, but Mitzi could think on her feet, too. She had used a doubleslap while it was close and then sent it away with a swift, putting distance between them once more. She rubbed her side with a little whimper, but she didn't seem too worse for wear.

The battle continued. Mitzi was still faster, but it hit harder, and its pursuit move usually connected. It proved to be a fairly even match. They traded blows, hissing and screeching at each other, and it was obvious both were tiring. As they broke apart once again, Burgh decided to switch tactics first. "Whirlipede, use a screech to speed up this battle!"

The insect let out a high whine that hurt Ree's ears. Mitzi cried out and covered her own ears, pressing them against her cheeks, but Ree wouldn't be distracted. Screech wasn't a directly damaging move—this was their chance! "Mitzi—!"

"Chee!" Mitzi shouted and jumped back to attention.

And then she began applauding.

The whirlipede's screech died off on a puzzled note. The minccino clapped and pranced from foot to foot, tail waving in excitement behind her. Burgh looked caught off guard as well. "Chee, chee! Min-no!" she cheered with gusto.

The whirlipede blushed darkly between its armored plates and shied away, bashful and embarrassed at the attention. She encouraged it with little squeals and gestures. It let out another screech at her enthusiasm, and Ree broke into a grin, even if her ears may have been bleeding. She tugged the top hat down lower over her head. The encore had worked.

Mitzi darted closer and unleashed a swift barrage at the bug. It jumped and rolled back with a soft hiss, surprised and betrayed, but she just set back to clapping and cheering innocently once more. Pleased by the attention, it let out another screech. Mitzi hit it with another attack, but it still continued. The screeches were clearly having a toll—and shit, Mitzi's ears actually _were _bleeding from prolonged, close exposure.

With one last slap of her tail followed by a two-pawed slap, the whirlipede fainted and the screeching finally stopped. Everyone in the room couldn't help the sigh of relief. Burgh returned his first pokémon and rubbed at his ear with his free hand. "That was clever of you, girl, if... painful."

"Good girl, Mitzi! Good girl!" Ree cooed as her minccino pranced back to her, all smiles and sunshine. It appeared as if she couldn't hear all that well, but she hoped that that was only temporary. She had taken a beating and was (temporarily) deaf, so her turn was over. She had three more pokémon, anyway.

Ree looked up at Burgh. She knew what his last two pokémon were, thanks to Harry. To her companion's credit, she had only given up the information after hours of wheedling. But her strategy depended on which he'd use first. She waited until he tossed another pokeball into the air, releasing a dwebble.

She didn't want to use Harper against a rock pokémon, even if it was also a bug. But she knew what was good against rock. Ree released Whippy and he coiled around himself, stretching. He yawned languidly and pretended to close his eyes, but she could see that they were still open a sliver. He was studying his opponent. It seemed as if he had matured a little with his evolution; before, she doubted he'd take even a gym pokémon seriously at first.

"Okay Whippy, you've fought bugs before. The good news is that any rock moves it uses won't be very effective against you, and you'll be much faster than it is. Not to mention bigger." Ree wasn't used to having the size advantage. He nodded and uncoiled, his tail gently swaying behind him. It was so much longer and more muscular than it'd been as a snivy; surely he could pack quite a punch. She couldn't help her sudden excitement.

"Ser," he replied and glanced back at her—and then did a double take. "Ser, servine?" He slithered over towards her, looking up at her ensemble with a pout.

"No, get back out there! Battle!" She had hoped he'd be a little more attentive after his evolution. Well, he was, but she still needed to appear like she was the one in charge here!

"Vine!" he whined, reaching up at her.

"Battle!"

"_Vine_!" Whippy pressed. She understood that he was trying to reach for her hat—she supposed she ought to be lucky he hadn't tried crawling up her yet—but they were supposed to be battling! He could be fancy later. But he still whined and reached up, making little grabby hands at her.

"Fine!" she burst out and whipped the hat off her own head. She slammed it onto his and shoved him back out onto the arena.

As he giggled childishly and adjusted it, gleeful at getting his way, Burgh sighed. "Don't trash my clothes."

"He wants to be fancy while he squishes your bugs," Ree replied with a gesture towards her still-laughing servine.

"The first rip in that hat means you're paying for it, girl!" he threatened and Whippy jumped to attention. The hat was a little too large for him and his smooth scales didn't give it the friction or staying power that hair did, so it slid around quite a lot. It seemed as if his new little horn was the only thing keeping it in place.

"Whippy, protect the hat and beat the bug!" Ree commanded, and her heart soared when he stood up to his full height and leered down at the dwebble. It shrank back in fear, eyes wide, and the battle started in earnest.

He advanced on the dwebble and used another leer, making it actually skitter back several steps. He had placed himself as the tougher, more intimidating opponent, but that wouldn't win the round for them. While it was still afraid, he puffed up and allowed himself a growth. His scales glimmered and his leaves grew crisper and sharper, standing out against his spine. This was already turning out favorably.

The dwebble finally recovered, however. It kicked up a bunch of sand, sending it at Whippy, trying to obscure his vision. But he darted nimbly out of the way, cartwheeling and twisting towards the landing to catch his falling hat with his tail. His flair was too excessive, however. "Faint attack!" The dwebble appeared behind him without notice and jammed its sharp claws into his flank, drawing blood.

He hissed and twisted again in a move that'd break a mammal's spine. He latched onto the rock shell of his foe, tearing chunks out with his claws and revealing part of its orange skin beneath. It squealed and managed to pry him off with its strong pincers, and they both backed up, giving each other some space.

Whippy adjusted the hat on his head with his tail while his little arms smoothed down the broken scales and skin on his hip. He hadn't managed to break skin on his opponent, but part of its shell was missing, so it was only a matter of time. Burgh put a hand to his chin, eyes narrowed in thought. Ree figured he wasn't going to call out more faint attacks, just because it brought them into close contact. Whippy would win out then with his flexibility and strength.

"Good job, Whippy!" Ree knew something that Burgh didn't, however. Her pokémon had long range moves. They exchanged a glance and he nodded, tipping the top hat down on his snout.

His vines shot out faster than ever, wrapping around the dwebble and tossing it across the arena as if it were lighter than air. He raced after it, pouncing before it had even hit the ground, landing on it and tearing into its hide and shell alike with vines and claws. "While it's close—struggle bug!" Burgh called out, and that was all of the warning they got before it flailed wildly, pincers glowing faintly. Whippy was actually thrown clean off, somersaulting and landing on his feet, hat askew.

It was beginning to rely more on its bug attributes, which were its strength. They all knew that. But it seemed as if it was a close attack, which they could use to their advantage. Whippy circled around, giving it space, vines out and at the ready. But that wasn't his only long-range attack.

The wind picked up and Ree held her towel shut as he unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp leaves. The dwebble dug into the floor to prevent getting tossed about by the gusts, but it made itself a stationary target and the leaves assaulted it mercilessly. By the time the tornado faded, it was bleeding and limping, and it had hardly half its shell still in place.

The dwebble murmured and began scooping up handfuls of the broken floor, licking them and then sticking them back to its shell. It was trying to repair itself. "No! Whippy, keep beating it!" Ree cried out, and he lashed out with his vines again. He tore it off the floor and flung it into the far wall, but didn't give chase this time.

"Dwebble, time to get creative!" Burgh called with a smile, and his pokémon nodded.

It flashed and disappeared, reappearing behind Whippy again. But this time, it led straight into another struggle bug for more damage. He slapped it away with his tail, but not before several gashes appeared in his scales. He leered at it again, but it wasn't as effective as before.

He used another leaf tornado, but the dwebble managed to avoid most of it with another faint attack. It was using it like short-range teleportation, and while it was clearly taxing its energy reserves, it was temporarily the faster opponent. It was also predictable, however; faint attack _always_ had it appear behind Whippy, so he caught on quickly enough to usually whirl around fast enough or hit it away with his vines.

But the battle was starting to wear on both of them. Neither pokémon was in very good shape, and the prolonged and consecutive uses of the faint attack were having the most drain on the dwebble. Ree hoped it didn't have too many more in it. If they could just keep it away again, the battle would be won.

Except then the dwebble picked up a slab of the floor and chucked it at Whippy. He was so startled that he barely had time to dodge. The dwebble followed him with more throws, clipping his new, longer tail several times. It was almost as fast as he was. He used his vine almost like another pair of limbs, catching himself and using it to jump, batting away rocks and keeping his hat on. They weren't doing much damage, but they were keeping him busy.

The floor was suffering, but Ree had an idea. There were cracks and several sections separated away from the hardened dirt underneath, most of which the dwebble was breaking into smaller chunks to throw. "Whippy! Use one of the pieces as a shield!"

He turned to her, astonished, but got a rock to the back of the head for his effort. With a frustrated growl, he dove for a larger piece of broken floor, prying it up with his vines. He dove behind it as he got it upright, holding it with his back, leaving his vines free. He couldn't see, but the dwebble hadn't moved, so he managed to feel his way over until he got to it. The slower approach gave it plenty of warning and it pinched his vine mercilessly, but he prized it off with the other and threw it again.

As it skidded across the arena, shedding more of its broken shell, he darted out from behind his shield and jumped at it, once again using it as his landing pad. It started with a struggle bug again, but Whippy kept hold and used everything sharp at his disposal until the bug stopped moving.

The servine released its opponent and stumbled back, then adjusted his hat primly. He turned and beamed at Ree. "Servine! Ser!"

"We did it! Good job, mister!" Ree ran out and scooped him up, nearly losing her towel in the process. Two pokémon down, one to go! Whippy wasn't in the best of shape, but he didn't have to battle for the next round.

"Damn girl, that was exciting." Burgh circled around the arena to return his dwebble, and then peered at the top hat hanging off of his horn. It was dusty, but seemed fine. "Looks like the prop survived. Good."

"You can take the price out of my prize money when I beat you if I can have it," Ree replied and Whippy looked up at him hopefully, eyes shining.

"Nice try, but no. Besides, you still have another pokémon to go, and I'm going to be the one to send you scurrying." He plucked the top hat off of Whippy and dusted it off, frowning. "Next round?"

"Hey, give that back. I still get to wear it for another round."

"No, you gave up that privilege when you gave it to your servine. No more fabulous hat for you," he replied and put it on his own wavy hair instead. Burgh sashayed back to his spot, waving dismissively behind him. "We still got another round to go, girl. C'mon, show me what you got."

Ree allowed herself one single evil chuckle. "Oh, I'll show you."

He sent out his last pokémon, a leavanny. It was the last evolution of sewaddle, and Ree knew all about them. Harry's Hattie was a sewaddle and Maya had once raised one for a friend. Fully evolved and strong, and a little on the large side, but oh, the delightful typing of that particular pokémon.

Ree let out Harper, and Burgh's face sunk. He must have been used to having double weaknesses exploited. "Alright, Harper. This'll be an easy one," she cackled and waved at the leavanny, who cocked its head to one side and twitched an antenna. Harper circled up into the air, gaining altitude, and then looked about the decimated arena.

"Pii?" she called down.

"Just use your birdy attacks. Gust and air cutter, and you'll be fine, harpy," Ree cooed back. Burgh's resigned sigh was audible even across the room.

The last round was short. The leavanny, while sturdier than anticipated, hadn't managed to hit Harper once. She swooped and circled, dodging string shots and razor leaves, keeping her distance. It cut on the damage her flying attacks would do, but it was still more than enough for a bug _and_ grass pokémon. Ree knew all about grass' many weaknesses, and it felt good to exploit them for once.

Harper alighted on the upturned slab that Whippy had used for cover, tweeting a little tune when the leavanny finally fell. She fluffed up proudly and Ree scratched her head, then set her gently on her shoulder.

"I'm used to birds and fire pokémon, but it's still painful to see them come out," Burgh admitted mareepishly as he strode over.

"Do I win the top hat?"

"No. But you just won your friend a job." Oh, right. Kev was the prize. He came up behind her before she could get away and gave her a hug, upending Harper and setting her about to squawking irately at him.

"Thank you so much! And you did it on your first try! No more honey!" That last part was probably the happiest thing of the moment. Kev released her, still smiling, and stuck out his hand for Burgh to shake. "Thank you so much, sir, for this opportunity—"

"Hey, it's not that high of an honor to work in a gym, calm down. I'm always looking for more workers around here, and truth be told, I probably would've hired you even if she had lost."

"Then why did you set him up as the prize to begin with?" Ree demanded, peeved at the trickery. Even if she had forgotten about Kev's fate pretty early on.

"It was fun," Burgh replied with a shrug. He gave another wave and one of his trainers came out one of the side doors. "Oh, I guess it'll still be a couple minutes until your clothes are dry. Either of you interested in modeling in the meantime?"

Ree took off her tie and tossed it at him. "You wanna draw a girl in a towel?"

"I've worked with nude models before. Granted, never in my own gym, but wherever the muses allow inspiration, you must take advantage!"

"Do I get the top hat if I let you draw me?"

"No, the clothes are staying here once you two get changed back into your normal attire. Let it die, girl."

They set about to chatting until the aide came back with a basket full of neatly folded clothes. They mostly talked about Kev's responsibilities in the gym since he wouldn't be a trainer, but Burgh was interested in his spoink's psychic powers, since he rarely got anyone with a psychic working in his gym.

It didn't take very long for Ree to change back into her normal clothes, having to take very little off to do so, and she went through her things once again to make sure nothing else was sticky. Her book had dried a little, and her backpack still smelled very sweet, but she had to hand it to them. Her clothes were okay, and it looks like her jeans had gotten mended. Sophia had even gotten all shined up.

Burgh seemed a little more relaxed without a near-naked girl in his arena. "It was a good match. You picked your pokémon well, and I think you'll totally go far, girl. I'll have to warn Elesa about you."

"Bring it on. You think I won't be able to take on some electric pokémon?" Ree scoffed in response.

"I think you'll have a tougher time than you're expecting," he replied cryptically and left it as that as Kev joined them once more. "Well, you clean up nice. When can you start? Don't worry about the paperwork—we can take care of that later."

"Oh, the day after tomorrow?"

"Sweet. I'll see you at nine, and just ask to use the back entrance. No need to get all sticky and gross twice to impress me." Ree managed to turn her laugh into a cough. Kev took it in stride and ignored her. "You, on the other hand," Burgh said and turned back to her, "I better not see around again. I don't know what you're up to, girlie, but at least make it to Elesa before you up and quit."

"Quit? Why the fuck would I quit when I just got my third badge?" Ree snapped. "Speaking of which—gimme."

He dug out the little gem from his pocket and she snatched it up gleefully. Third badge, four pokémon, she was on fire. "You're only a month along, right?"

Ree froze.

Had she just misheard him? Surely she had. Month along... in her journey, right. He and Lenora were friends, they probably talked about the newbie teenage girl and—Kev gave the back of her shirt a light tug, snapping her out of it. "What are you talking about?" he asked quietly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was a secret." Burgh seemed genuinely sorry, but it cleared up any doubt she'd had about the subject matter. She pressed her hands against her stomach. She wasn't showing yet, she hadn't gained much, if any, weight. She hadn't even thrown up on him! "Insects are excellent at picking up hormones and pheromones. After you washed all of the honey off, my leavanny picked up on it right away. I'm sorry."

She continued to pat down her stomach. It was okay, he didn't matter. He was a near-stranger and it wasn't as if he would tell people he'd battled a pregnant teenager. Scott and Maya didn't know. It was okay. She'd show eventually, she knew, and people would know on sight then—but she wasn't used to it right then.

Trying to get past the awkwardness thick in the air, Burgh blundered on, looking anywhere but at them. "Um, congratulations? I mean, you've gotten a badge, third if you're going traditional. You're obviously determined to do this, so good on you, girl. And hey, I'm always happy to support a growing family—"

"Pardon, but I think you have this _very_ wrong," Kev broke in, aghast at the implication.

"Oh fuck me—eww! No. No! Don't presume to know me just because you—your bugs can smell good!" Ree shrieked, backing away from the both of them. Wait, don't cause a scene in the gym. Not good, not good. "I-I just—fuck—I wasn't expecting—"

"I'm sorry," Burgh repeated, desperately. "I didn't mean to imply, or come off as rude."

"She's fine." Kev made a grab for her and she ducked away, but caught her on his second try. "She's fine," he said again, though she didn't want to be held right then. And honestly, it probably wasn't helping their 'not a couple' case. "Thank you. I'll see you the day after tomorrow."

Ree was more shaken by him finding out than by being paired off with Kev, but as he led her out of the gym, she realized that this was a bigger problem than she had anticipated. Many pokémon could smell much better than a human, so her secret could be given away even sooner than she had anticipated. Maybe leavanny were just really good at that. But... Sawsbuck weren't _too_ good at scenting, right? She had only been present in front of Maya's sawsbuck and reuniclus, and she knew Edgar was shit at smelling things. But what if he'd used his psychic powers to tell? Could he?

_No, Maya would've said something_, she scolded herself. Her secret was safe. She'd just have to be a little more careful about running into others from then on. Definitely no more run-ins with her sister or boyfriend.

"It's getting late. Perhaps you should stay here in the city for the night," Kev said quietly. She was suddenly aware that he still had his hands on her upper arms, guiding her through the crowd. She jerked away from him.

"...Yeah. But I'm fine. Don't go babying me."

"You're obviously shaken. You hadn't counted on that," he pointed out.

"I'm better now. I got my third badge, and I'll leave in the morning. Why'd you say you couldn't go in tomorrow, anyway?"

"I have to secure an apartment. Since I have a job now, I should qualify for one, and since I'm actually moving here, there are a couple other things I'll have to attend to."

"Oh."

After an awkward, too-long silence, he threw out, "Congratulations on your third badge."

"Congrats on getting a job," Ree replied listlessly. And then the silence returned. She had a text from Harry saying she had gone back to the room, but that she'd wished them both luck. She would have to get her pokémon healed, but Maya and Scott were still at large. She only hoped she'd be able to sneak in tomorrow morning.

Though she was one badge closer to her goal, Ree didn't feel very happy. She hadn't liked the dunk back into reality, and the reminder that this secret of hers was going to be tough to keep. Impossible in just a couple months, to pokémon and human alike. But she knew that, she told herself—she _knew _that she'd be on her own, waddling around with hormones acting haywire and a pokémon team at her disposal. It was how she'd wanted to do this.

She cleaned Mitzi and Whippy in the bathtub, giving small grunts to Harry's excitement that they'd both won their challenges. Harper had escaped without a scratch, and a servine was a lot bigger than a snivy; she didn't want to crowd the tub with three pokémon. Ree made sure to clean his wounds, but they were already on the path to healing. Mitzi again helped, eager to please. Three badges and four pokémon. Nimbasa was another large city, and it'd be easy to stay anonymous there, especially if Maya and Scott didn't know she had moved on. Obviously they'd catch on eventually, but she could just stay a couple steps ahead of them until they gave up on her...

"Ser," Whippy said and gave her a little splash. It broke her out of her reverie.

"What?"

"Servine," he said. Mitzi pouted beside him.

"I'm sorry. I'm not mad, or sad, or anything. Just thinking, I promise." She dumped a cupful of suds-free water over his head, rinsing him, and made sure to get all of the bubbles out of the hollow in his horn. "Sorry I couldn't get the top hat for you. Maybe once we have some more spending money." They did have more money now, but they also had to restock on supplies before they left. And return the experience share, but thankfully she had paid that in advance.

Kev had gotten his job and was off apartment-hunting tomorrow. It would be just her team and Harry. They had started out alone together, but it'd be an adjustment not bickering with him constantly. But it was a good thing he was laying down roots again.

"Um, Ree? C-Can I... talk to you?" Harry asked meekly, peeking into the bathroom.

"What's up?" She looked up at her friend, two wet pokémon in her lap as she worked on toweling Mitzi's fur dry.

"I... got a phone call earlier. That's why I left the gym and came back." Ree waited for her to elaborate. Harry came in, eyes on her feet, and closed the door behind her. That was odd. She still didn't continue.

"Um..." It was a prompt, but Harry remained silent. She opened her mouth, then closed it again. Ree finished drying Mitzi and set the damp towel on the edge of the tub, and all three of them looked up at her for the explanation that _still _wasn't coming.

Instead, "H-How was the battle?"

"Well, I won," Ree replied, perplexed.

"It doesn't look like any of your pokémon fainted. Um, who did you use? Was it entertaining o-or fun or something?" Her words came out in a rush, desperate and faux happy. This wasn't like her excitement earlier, but how far off had it been? Now Ree was second-guessing all of Harry's reactions. This was unlike her.

"Uh, I used everyone but Lala. They all did well, and I guess it was kinda fun. Burgh hit on Kev and I battled in a towel. Whippy had a top hat."

"Towel?" Harry repeated with a brilliant blush. "I-I should have known you would... um, wear something weird."

"Was he doing that when you challenged him?"

"Yes."

"What'd _you_ wear then?"

"This dress, it was like a-a princess dress. I think it was an old costume." Harry fell awkwardly silent again. Ree narrowed her eyes; she'd wait this one out. Mitzi clambered back into her lap and curled up with a small, cute yawn. Whippy licked the top of her head and then seated himself next to Ree and mimicked her look up at Harry, expectant and suspicious.

The silence stretched on. Harry opened and closed her mouth a couple more times, knowing what was expected of her, but Ree was starting to lose patience. Maybe a waiting game wasn't the soundest strategy for someone like herself. But every time her friend opened her mouth, she'd get hopeful again, only to be disappointed again when she didn't tell her what was bothering her.

"B-Beautiful night out, isn't it?" Harry asked suddenly, voice cracking.

"_Harry_."

"I—" She took a deep breath. "I just wanted to know how your battle went. You're th-three for three now, only five more to... g-go..." With that, her voice broke completely and she looked at Ree, tears spilling down her cheeks. She mumbled out some sort of apology and sunk to her knees, wiping at her eyes.

"Harry, what's wrong?" Ree asked gently, but she couldn't help how taken aback she was. It made sense in retrospect, but she wasn't good with these sorts of sudden, strong emotions, especially in others.

"I—My uncle—"

"What happened? Is he okay?"

"Yes—no—I have to go," Harry sniffed, finally catching her breath. "I have to go to see him and my aunt, and my mom wants to talk to me about my pokémon. She doesn't know I've been battling a-again with you guys."

"She doesn't want you to become a trainer again?"

"No, it's not that. My uncle's going into surgery, and she wants me there to talk about it. And if I'm _not_ a trainer, I think she wants me to come home for good..."

It was processing slowly for Ree. "So your uncle's sick?"

Harry nodded.

"And your mom..." Still processing.

"I-I haven't been home in awhile, so..."

And then it finally hit Ree. Harry's mother didn't want her traveling anymore. Harry wasn't really a trainer, even if she had been slowly coming out of her shell. Her uncle was just the catalyst, but she was going home.

Harry was leaving her, too.

-.-.-

Ree tossed and turned all night. A call from Maya woke her once, but otherwise, she was plagued with thoughts about tomorrow. Kev would be looking for an apartment. He was going to be staying—living—in Castelia. That was good, after all, since he had his job and he'd be able to stay in Unova. Harry would be catching a braviary flight in the morning to head home, and that would be that.

Ree would head north, leaving behind Maya and Scott, as well as her two companions. She'd be alone again. She had expected to run through the circuit alone, but after traveling with others... It wasn't bad. It was actually fun, most of the time. She wasn't sure how she'd deal with losing both of them at once.

But the morning came all the same.

They didn't bother pretending to go to breakfast. Harry packed listlessly, looking like she hadn't slept a wink, and didn't talk to either of them. Kev also packed his things, stony-faced and all business. Ree, too, gathered her things. She avoided looking at them, as if ignoring them would lessen the pain. It didn't.

Harry finally lost the battle with her tears as they left the pokémon center, out the window for the last time. She clung to Ree, crying into her sleeve. Ree could only hold her. She wasn't crying, but she still felt miserable. She could've handled leaving Kev there. She wasn't sure how, but surely she could have. But not Harry too.

They saw her off at the air station. Ree didn't envy her trip on the braviary, but she wished that this just wasn't happening. She could've handled spending the rest of her journey with Harry. "I'll text you both when I get there. I-I'll keep in touch, I promise," Harry mumbled, eyes on her shoes.

"Have a safe flight," Kev replied quietly and stepped forward to hug her again. He leaned down and whispered something in her ear. She looked up at him, startled, and then nodded.

Ree reluctantly stepped up for her goodbye. She felt blindsided and too numb. This wasn't happening; it was a bad dream. Harry was warm in her arms and her shoulders were shaking slightly, but that didn't make it any realer to her.

The tears only came when the braviary, its handler, and Harry flapped into the sky and disappeared from sight. It was only her and Kev. Harry was _gone_.

"...I have already called a place for the apartment I'd been looking at," Kev said hollowly. She nodded. "It's near one of the pokémon marts in town, so you could resupply there while I get things arranged. Unless you'd like to leave earlier."

"I'll go shopping," Ree replied.

She didn't end up getting much in the way of supplies, both due to disinterest and lack of funds. She had already stocked up several times while in Castelia, and there wasn't much else she actually needed, either. Ree browsed through the small book section, but not even that appealed to her. Harry had left her, and Kev was about to. She drifted through the store aimlessly, only there to waste time.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a call from her parents, but she knew they'd been speaking to Maya. She couldn't talk to them right now without crying again, anyway. She hadn't thought that leaving a girl she'd only known for a couple weeks would be so hard, but Harry had been her first human friend on her journey.

Ree eventually decided to find Kev again and get this over with. She wasn't planning on staying around to help him move in, since that would only make things difficult, and she would like to head out before it got too late. No point dragging things out. She shoved her meager purchases into her already overstuffed backpack.

She found Kev arguing with another man. That wasn't too surprising, all in all. "No, you _promised _me an apartment here when we talked on the phone last night—"

"And I told ya, just sold out this morning! Don't got no room for the likes of ya! I don't rent out my apartments to no refugees or crummy immigrants, anyway."

"I have my registration and paperwork right here! I am almost a legal citizen of this—"

"I don't rent to non-Unovans!"

Ree grit her teeth and stomped over, plastering a smile onto her face at the last moment. "Oh, _there_ you are darling!" Oh wow, saying that left a worst taste in her mouth than she'd imagined it would. Kev had the sense not to look too surprised at her dramatic entrance, at least. "Hello, are you the nice man renting us the apartment?"

"An' who the hell are ya?" the man replied, not impressed.

"A natural-born citizen of this country," Ree said coolly. He grimaced. "If you have any problem with him renting this apartment, maybe I'll take this up with Burgh. Y'know, his new employer and a personal friend of ours."

"I'm not looking for trouble, I just don't _want_ no trouble with his kind here."

"He speaks better than you, and if you say one more word, this bat is going up your ass. I'm in no mood to play nice. If you don't want to rent it to him, whatever—I'll sign it under my name." Ree had lost her patience with the man. No wonder Kev had been so snarky to her. She hadn't intended to be an asshole or racist or anything, but hearing it from another's mouth kinda put things in perspective for her.

"Ree, stop it. You don't have to do this," Kev said lowly, but she shook her head.

"You got your job, and now you have to get a place to live. No more center living for you, and hey, if he gives me the excuse to work out my frustrations on his face, so be it."

"Fine!" the man exclaimed in exasperation. "Fine, ya two prats win. But _one_ misstep and you're out on the curb, the both of ya. I don't care for the politics of this all, I just don't want no trouble an' no mess."

That was a simple, if temporary fix. The man finally handed over the paperwork and the key, and Ree helped Kev carry in some of his things. She didn't stay long, just long enough to drop off the things and head straight back out the door. He was the one living there and he'd get to deal with his wonderful landlord, but she had faith that he'd deal. He didn't seem too bothered by it now, anyway.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Threatening to assault a man for me," Kev replied with a smile.

"I thought that's why you kept me around. It couldn't be for my charming worldview."

"Ree, you're not as bad as that man, and he's not the worst out there. I'll be fine once I settle and he realizes I'm not here to eat his children and ruin his economy."

"I just want to get going. No more arguing, Kev," Ree answered wearily and her shoulders drooped. It wasn't even noon yet and she felt so _exhausted_.

"Fine. No more arguing." He stepped forward and hugged her, and she halfheartedly returned the embrace. "You have my number, so don't be afraid to call or anything. If you ever stop by Castelia again to hide from your sister or boyfriend, don't be afraid to drop in. You won't have to enter and exit out the windows, at least."

"I'll think about it. You'll be okay here with Mr. Honey?"

"Just so long as I don't have to go through the gym itself again, I'll survive. I've survived Lenora, so Burgh can't be that challenging. Be careful, Ree. Don't make any stupid mistakes to put yourself in danger."

"I will," she said with a roll of her eyes. This was a lot more dry-eyed than Harry's goodbye thankfully. They finally said goodbye and Ree left. Just like Harry left. It was really quite simple. She passed the landlord again on the way out, and made a show of moving Sophia to the belt loop on her other hip. He didn't say anything more to her.

Having lost both of her traveling companions in one fell swoop, Ree headed north out of Castelia, once again leaving everything behind.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Into the wilds! Actually, a different kind of wilds than what Ree and her team are used to - the desert. How will she handle traveling on her own again, and how will her team handle the new, harsh conditions? How will Ree's body handle it? New characters to be introduced and sandstorms to have fun with, all in the next chapter of Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey!


	15. Of Shamelessness

"Why don't you ever eat me out?"

Scott choked on his milk, spilling half down his front and half across his pancakes. Ree set her chin in her hands, pleased; she'd purposefully timed her question for the best shock value opportunity. He turned to her, dripping, and very slowly reddened.

"We're thinking of the same thing, r-right?" he stammered out. She nodded indulgently. His cheeks went darker. He didn't blush very often, at least not in front of her, so she savored these times. Scott looked down at his plate and the mess he'd made, then at the sink, then at the ceiling. Everywhere but at her.

He stood up and gathered up his things, no doubt planning a hasty escape, but Ree caught him by the ponytail as he turned. "Scottie, it was an honest question. I'm not mad, just curious. For now," she told him sweetly.

"Uh."

"Answer the question."

"_Uh_," he replied in a slightly more panicked voice. He tore his hair out of her grasp and dumped his dishes in the sink, still looking anywhere but at her. He was still red-faced, too. It was kinda cute, but it wasn't answering her question, and she was starting to lose patience. "I... have never, uh, done that before, and... uh..."

"You could practice on me." Oh, and the blushing increased tenfold! Ree had to physically stop herself from laughing at her poor, embarrassed boyfriend. "I mean, equality of the sexes and all that. I've given you six blowjobs now."

"Six... You _count_?" he asked, scandalized.

"It hasn't been that many, Scottie. But enough for me to realize that I'm givin' and ain't gettin' anything in return, see?"

"Multiple orgasms," he shot back and it seemed like he had finally found his footing.

"That was one time! It was a fluke, and I was already wound up beforehand."

"There are things I want but you don't give me," Scott said. His face was gradually returning to its normal hue, and he seemed to be getting past Ree's shamelessness through sheer force of will.

"Oh? Like _what_?" Ree challenged. She was a very giving girlfriend, after all, even if they hadn't gotten into all that much in the bedroom yet.

Scott opened his mouth—and then flushed again. He came over and whispered into her ear. And it was finally Ree's turn to blush. They glared at each other, daring the other to back down, both of them scarlet. Ree would be damned if she would be out-shamed by Scott, but she hadn't expected that out of him.

"...Okay, fine. We'll both try new things. Now," she announced and stood up. Scott tried to escape again, but she dragged him off by the back of the shirt to his bedroom. No one would ever say Ree backed down from a challenge.

-.-.-

**Chapter Fifteen**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Shamelessness

-.-.-

"Well," Ree said, but the wind took the sound from her. She hadn't heard much about the actual route, but she had heard about the sand. She was still surprised at how _much _there was—and it was blowing around! Visibility was down to nothing in some areas and it was acting like sandpaper against her exposed skin.

After trial and error, she found that Whippy was the only one she could take out with her. His scales provided some defense against the terrible sandstorm, but only just. The other three were blown about mercilessly. Her phone beeped every so often to tell her she was losing and gaining signal.

More often than not, she tripped over any wild pokémon they found. They fled from darumaka, but Whippy could handle sandile and even krokorok with ease. They did come across something with pants at one point, and he beat that too, but it seemed strangely out of place in the desert.

It was tough going. She didn't find any trainers, and there probably weren't many in such a rough area, but the heat was overbearing, the sand was insufferable, and progress was slow. The wind started to die a little towards sundown, but only enough for Ree to make out a large something off to the west. Anything was better than spending the night in the desert.

Ree slipped down into a sandy crevasse, and Whippy had to help her back out with his vines, while trying not to fall in himself. They found several more in the area, and she ran into a statue of some sort of pokémon, but the something seemed to be a rock formation. A rock formation with a door in it.

The broke out of the wind and shook off all of the sand hiding on them. "Fuckin' finally," she grumbled and shook out her short hair. Whippy stretched and then sat down. He began to pick out bits of sand from out of his leaves. "It's early, but goddamn, I want a break of that hell out there. No one warned me about _that_!"

"Servine," he replied soothingly and stood back up. He picked up an advancing sandile and tossed it out into the sandstorm. "Ser?"

"Good job. I don't know how we'll make a fire in here, though... At least it's not too cool out." Ree released the rest of her team and they made sure no other wild pokémon came by. The place they'd stumbled into was surprisingly... human-made. The floors were smooth stone, as were the walls, and there were several pillars and statues about. There were more pits in the broken floor that looked like they were made of quicksand, and she made sure they all gave those a lot of space. Without anything to cook with, they ended up eating a couple of snack cakes she had brought with her. Not the healthiest or most filling, but it'd tide them over until they got out of the desert. Hopefully.

Her phone beeped to tell her she had one bar of signal in the ruins. And then it buzzed from a missed text, again from Maya. She'd have to stop ignoring them eventually, but she just wasn't sure when. And truth be told, she still wasn't in a very social mood, having lost her two companions earlier that day.

Mitzi helped Ree lay out her sleeping bag. Whippy watched and pretended to supervise. Harper circled around, glad to be able to fly again, and kept watch. Lala was already sleeping in a pile of sand. It was going to be an early night, but she didn't have much else to do. It got dark in the place pretty early, too. She tried to read by flashlight for a little while, but that put strain on her eyes.

"Training is boring. At least if the others had been here, we could've talked..." she complained and shut her book, defeated. "I hate today."

"Min?" Mitzi squeaked and wiggled up from where she'd been laying, a furry little heater by her side.

"I'm okay. Sleep time now. Whippy, you coming in?" Ree held the sleeping bag open for him. He tried to slither in with them, but he was much bigger. This was the first time they'd slept together in the bag, and he could hardly fit. She felt a little stifled, and they unzipped it a bit to compensate, but it was still very snug. Mitzi didn't seem to mind, murmuring happily as she wiggled down Ree's legs to make room.

Harper unmistakably rolled her eyes as she alighted on Ree's little pillow. She nestled down in the crook between her neck and shoulder, as usual. Lala rolled over with a snort. Just like normal, just like before.

Then Ree's phone, tucked under her pillow, blared a video game theme at her. She jumped and managed to upset everyone but her sleeping whimsicott. "Who the fuck." She had half a mind to talk to Scott or Maya and let them have a piece of her mind.

Instead, the caller ID informer her that it was Lenore.

And Ree didn't remember programming a Lenore into her phone.

"Hello...? Who is this?" she answered tentatively, anger slipping away.

"Are you still in the city?" a woman's businesslike tone replied.

"No." Surely it was okay to tell a non-Maya, non-Scott person such a thing. Her voice sounded a little familiar, but Ree still couldn't place the name.

There was an exasperated sigh, turned to static over the poor connection. "We forgot a couple things while you were here that I just got cleared, so I'm going to need you to open up your pokédex and give me your coordinates."

"Who is this?" she repeated irritably.

There was a shuffling sound and then a man's voice asked, "Hello? Who is this?"

"I'm trying to figure out who _this_ is!" Ree exclaimed.

"I was just handed the phone! What am I doing?" he replied, clearly bewildered. This was not going well for anyone involved. There was some mumbling in the background, and then he coughed. "Oh. Your coordinates?"

"Why the hell am I going to tell a stranger where I am?"

"I'm with Lenore. I'm her UFO, okay? It looks like we're stopping by tonight because she needs to get a lock on you for some ungodly reason I cannot comprehend."

"She's _pregnant_!" came the background shout.

And suddenly, Ree remembered her baby doctor. It was better than her boyfriend or sister, but she couldn't help but pinch the bridge of her nose. Her next appointment with her was supposed to be in another two weeks. "I thought we were just going to meet in Nimbasa or wherever I happen to be. You said you were cool with meeting in cities," she ground out, not impressed by this new development.

"Well, considering you were already picked up by one UFO with an emergency, Lenore thought it prudent that you have a lock on you."

"Lock. You mean a _psychic_ lock?"

"Yeah, what else? This way, I can track you down wi—" Whatever the man had been saying was drowned out by the storm of cursing Ree whipped up. She had just gotten out from Maya's, and now this doctor wanted to put another on her! Sure, they were unrelated, but that was a gross invasion of her privacy!

Whippy and Mitzi peeked out from the sleeping bag, eyes huge and slightly terrified. Ree patted them each on the head to try to dispel their worries, but she was still mad. "I don't _want_ a psychic lock on me," she said at last.

"I-I got that," he replied timidly.

"She's getting one anyway if she wants to continue out in the wilderness!" Lenore's addition was clearly heard.

"I'm not telling you my coordinates," Ree replied stubbornly. If they knew she was out of the city, they could surmise that she was probably in the desert, but good luck to them if they wanted to come track her down through the sandstorm. "And you can both suck it."

"Oh, um, it looks like Lenore just tracked your phone. We'll—"

"Fuck you!" Ree shouted into the phone and hung up. She crossed her arms grumpily and sat there in her sleeping bag and pajamas, waiting for the pair to inevitably show up.

And not five minutes later, she was rewarded with a flash of light and a man in uniform eerily similar to that night in the forest. Ree recognized her baby doctor, tall as ever, but with her long, black hair held up with a golden clip. She shook out her dress and surveyed her surroundings coolly. She was accompanied by a shorter blond man who was pushing goggles up onto his hair, patting a pokémon appreciatively.

"Fuck you," Ree repeated for their convenience.

"If you want to continue on this asinine journey, this is a precaution you must bear with. This pokémon will be the only one to have this lock on you, and Allen will be exclusively working with me for the next few months," Lenore said with a gesture towards the man.

"This is only in case of emergencies. Winter's coming up, and the weather can get nasty, or there could be problems with other trainers, or a medical emergency, or any other host of problems," Allen told her, counting off the problems on his fingers. He looked up Lenore. "Maybe this is too dangerous for her."

"I'm doing fine! See, camp. Safety. Shelter." She gestured to the roof over their heads with a scowl.

"It's dangerous these days. Why, just today another operative got attacked up north by some kid with a knife."

"Then why are _you_ out here? I can take care of myself," Ree said and patted Sophia. Allen eyed the bat with skepticism.

"I'm a Unovan field operative. It's our job to be out here policing the wilds and keeping an eye on trainers. Especially in today's training climate," he informed her.

"Oh, you're the teleporting guys." She groaned and flopped back down into her sleeping bag. Everyone in the country knew about the only force that were allowed to use teleportation. They were supposed to be this elite force of powerful trainers who were themselves trained to deal with all sorts of emergencies, but the guy in front of her didn't look all that much older than her. His pokémon wasn't all that intimidating, either.

The blue pokémon narrowed its eyes and hissed, "Ellll."

She stuck her tongue out at it. Allen looked between them nervously, and then said, "Uh, don't worry about him. I know he hasn't evolved yet, but he's strong, and he's not the only pokémon on my team. I am qualified to help you."

"I thought they were just for teleporting." They had to breed them specially for the role, since no native pokémon could naturally teleport. She had no idea they were actually used for anything else.

"Tranjero can take any of your pokémon, I can assure you. We're supposed to be guardians and a military force. What good would we be if we weren't stronger than the trainers we're protecting?" Allen retorted, patience finally wearing thin.

"You two can stop your pissing match at any time," Lenore broke in. She pulled out a clipboard and a pen from her satchel and handed them down to Ree. "This is just a form required for special cases like this. However rare they are, it seems like we have a form for everything."

"What if I refuse?"

"Then once you hit the period for which the average maternity leave starts, I'm going to revoke your trainer's license and keep you grounded wherever you happen to be," Lenore said with a pleasant smile. "So if you were planning on getting all of the badges before this hits the fan, your time would be halved."

"You can't do that!" Ree exclaimed.

"Oh, yes. I can."

"Don't argue with her, you'll lose," Allen advised lowly.

Ree scribbled out her information, peeved. And even madder because she could see the sense of it. She remembered the fear and panic when she thought she had lost the baby. She didn't want that to happen again. She handed the form back to Lenore with another sneer for her.

"Okay, Tranjero. Get a lock on her." The pokémon looked her over once, and then nodded up at its trainer again.

"That's it?"

"What did you expect?"

"I don't know. I don't like the fact that it's so easy," she admitted.

"Your life could be saved by this. This isn't a sensor for your life or anything, so if you're in danger, you will still have to call. But now we can get there immediately, no matter where in Unova you are, and he will be able to tell us how you're progressing," Lenore explained idly as she looked over the paperwork. "How have you been feeling?"

"Fine, I guess."

"Have you been taking your vitamins?"

She had forgotten today. "Oh, uh, yeah." The psychic pokémon narrowed its eyes at her again; she had a feeling it was capable of reading her mind. She liked that even less.

"I'd like to check in with you for a full check-over in about two weeks."

"Yeah, I remember."

"Make sure you're getting enough water, especially while out on this route." Lenore cast a critical eye over the pokémon in the ruins with her. "You don't have a water pokémon?"

"No," Ree mumbled. Four were already a handful, but she had been in Castelia. Where had the woman expected her to get a water pokémon?

Lenore sighed. "Do you have water bottles with you?"

"Yeah, two big ones." One was almost empty already, but Ree expected to be out of the route by tomorrow.

"There are no natural sources of water in this area. You have to be better prepared for this sort of thing if you really want to do this trainer thing," she scolded, making Ree wince. She relented with a sigh and turned to her blond companion. "Allen, if you would please."

He pulled a pokeball off of his belt and released a massive blue pokémon. Whippy hissed at it and Harper took to the air with an alarmed squawk. "Sorry," he mumbled and patted the pokémon on the shoulder.

"What is that thing?" Ree asked cautiously.

"Don't you have a pokédex?"

"Well, yeah..." She just hadn't wanted to dig it out of her backpack. Embarrassed, she went digging anyway and scanned over the pokémon. Samurott, the last form of oshawott. A water pokémon. She scanned over the littler blue pokémon as well, and finally put the name—elgyem—to the species. The samurott was definitely more intimidating than the little thing, though.

"Water bottles?" Allen prompted, hand held out.

"Vomit water, huh?" Ree replied but handed them over.

"Trainers can't afford to be squeamish, and it's fresh water. Water pokémon are capable of producing large quantities of it, and it's healthy and safe to drink." He led the samurott over a ways, which was soon explained—its water gun was powerful indeed. He ended up quite wet, but at least the other two stayed dry.

"So, in two weeks it's mid September, and you'll likely still be in Nimbasa."

"What if I'm not?" Ree couldn't help but ask.

"I'd like to do your check-up in some place with some medical equipment, so if you stop in any smaller towns or anything, that would be fine. I'll know where you are. So if we continue our appointments every two or three weeks, and you delivery in April..."

"April? Wait. Wait, no." Lenore looked up at her. Ree shook her head. "August. Nine months after that is _May_."

"You took the pregnancy test in the beginning of August, correct?"

"Yeah. And then I started on this journey."

"But you took the _test_ in August. It's more likely you became pregnant in July, depending on the frequency of sexual intercourse, but doctors count from the last menstrual cycle to decide on the predicted delivery date. Of course, the baby could decide to come earlier or later, and that's okay, to an extent. But I would be _very_ worried if it came in _May_," Lenore explained patiently.

But Ree was anything but calm and patient. She had been counting on being able to do this until May. Early May, sure, but still May! Not April. That was a whole less month she had to work with. True, they were ahead of schedule, but she knew once the winter set in, they wouldn't be doing much of anything up north.

"You really thought you were due in May?" Lenore asked, features softening. Ree nodded miserably. "I'm sorry, but you're due in April. Early to mid April. It's a fairly common mistake, I've heard, for expecting mothers to try to figure out their own due dates and do that."

"But... I had another month," Ree mumbled.

"I'm sure you'll do fine."

Allen came back with two dripping water bottles. Whippy slithered out of the sleeping bag and collected them, then immediately downed half of one himself. He didn't spill as much as he did with his previous attempts at drinking, but there was still some waste. Allen sighed and took it back to refill again.

"Clearly your pokémon will help you on this journey to the best of their abilities," Lenore remarked dryly.

"He's just like that."

"Just be careful. I'll see you in a couple weeks." The pair left her alone in the dark ruins, and they eventually drifted off to sleep.

To Ree's chagrin, she spent another day and a half in the desert. She got out of the sandstorm itself before she got out of all of the sand, and the lack of breeze meant the heat was even worse. She had taken to keeping even Whippy in his pokeball so none of her pokémon had to drink any of her dwindling water supply. She was fairly certain she was dehydrated again, but she wasn't bleeding and had avoided heatstroke.

The desert gave way to a cooler forest setting. The shade was welcome, but it was still hot out, without a breath of air movement. Ree released Harper and Lala to find a source of water. Ree stuck to the shady parts of the path, chewing on grass and leaves whenever she felt thirsty. Which was always. It was just past noon when her body had had enough and she threw it all back up.

Ree knew she was in trouble when she found she couldn't stand properly again. She wasn't overheating anymore, but she had gone too long without water. "Ha... Harper!" she croaked out, but it came out as a tiny squeak. She didn't know where her pokémon had gone. Ree made it to the nearest tree and used it as a brace to stay upright. Her stomach was empty now and she was getting into some real danger.

She fumbled with her other two pokeballs, releasing Mitzi by accidentally dropping hers. "Min!" she cried in a panic.

"Find water," Ree ground out. "Or the others."

Mitzi stuck by her boot, however, still squeaking in alarm. She gestured until Ree sat down beside her, and then she began to brush down her dry skin. Ree shook her head, but her minccino wouldn't leave her side. Finally, she picked her up and tossed her.

"Water, Mitzi!" After one more scared look, Mitzi scampered off. Ree sighed and tried to find her phone in her bag. No doubt she'd get the chewing out of the century, but surely this was straying into 'emergency' territory. Only a matter of days later, and she was already in trouble. Figured.

And then Ree was promptly soaked with water.

She jumped violently and dropped her phone, looking up at a bird flapping above her. Ree stared, mouth agape, at it. It was a ducklett, but they weren't native to this area, were they? And how had it gotten here?

"Si-si-si." Ree craned her head back and saw Lala peeking around the other side of the tree she was leaning against. She stuck her tongue out at the ducklett and it aimed another jet of water at her, missing. Lala raced around to the other side of the tree and shook her rear at the bird.

"Duuuuuck!" it squawked and soaked both Lala and Ree with more water.

Ree couldn't help but laugh weakly. It was a source of water, if not what she was expecting. Ree sucked the water off her shirt collar and pulled her empty water bottles out of her bag. Lala had made it mad, but maybe it would still do her a favor. If all else, she could always catch it. She _did_ need a water pokémon, and a ducklett would do nicely.

"Okay Lala, we're going to need to weaken it before we catch it." Ree was already feeling better, but she was still thirsty. Eying the pokémon in front of her as a source of water made the feeling worse. But there was hope now.

Ree dumped her backpack's contents on the grass until she came to a sad, small pile of empty pokeballs. She hadn't planned on catching any more, but she was glad that she had those few left over now. The ducklett quacked again and tried to catch Lala with another water gun, but she danced out of the way with a cackle.

"What are you _doing_! Thief!" They all turned to look as Mitzi ran back up, tail held high. Following her was a blonde girl, visibly angry. "That's _my_ ducklett!"

"Oh, I. I thought it was wild," Ree mumbled. She looked down as Mitzi jumped into her lap and nuzzled into her stomach with a squeal. Why were her pokémon so keen on bringing back surprises?

The girl, panting slightly, stopped in front of Ree and planted her fists on her hips. She was younger than Ree, but definitely a teenager, not a total newbie. "Corina, come here. You know better than to run off." The ducklett flapped over and alighted on her shoulder. The girl turned back to Ree suspiciously. "That's your whimsicott?"

"Yeah." It figured that Lala would've pissed off a trainer's pokémon, but it did simplify things a little. If make them more embarrassing. As Mitzi helped her push all her things unceremoniously back into her backpack, Ree asked, "Um, she did it for a reason. We're kind of out of water and I'm kind of sick from it."

Immediately the girl's demeanor shifted. "Oh! Oh, I'm so sorry! You don't have a water pokémon? I guess not—Corina, go back and get Riddick." The ducklett honked and took to the sky. Ree didn't see how getting rid of their source of water was helping things, but she felt a little better about their plight when the girl knelt down next to her and put her hand against her forehead. "You're a little warm, and you don't look too well."

"No shit."

"The name is Tori, and I'd appreciate less cursing."

"Ree," she replied. The ducklett came back rather quickly and landed beside them, looking between the two trainers. Another pokémon ran up behind it. It was another thing with pants, but it didn't look like the littler ones in the desert. "Sorry, the last couple days have just been kinda hellish."

Tori gave her a sharp look. Ree personally didn't count that as swearing, but if staying PG got her water, she wouldn't complain too much.

She immediately had a massive change of heart as Tori instructed her to lay down and began playing nurse, and rather seriously at that. She did get water out of the deal, but she hadn't wanted the girl fawning over her. But soon enough, water and a wet washcloth for her face turned into dinner, which turned into camping for the evening. She felt a lot better after re-hydrating herself, but Tory would have none of it.

"Do you know how many trainers die each year because of dehydration?" she asked as she rummaged through her own bag. She pulled out—Ree couldn't believe her eyes. It was a bunch of carrots, dirt still clinging to them. "Corina, please wash these." The ducklett took them from her in its bill and waddled a little ways off.

"It's several hundred, and more than half of those are from that desert," Ree recited. She had read the handbook, too. Tori seemed surprised, but then relaxed into a smile.

"Exactly. It's dangerous, and water is vital. Do you have a fire pokémon?"

"I have a lighter."

"I guess that works." Ree started a fire as Tori started pulling more impossible things out of her bag. Turnips, several potatoes, and something that might have been some sort of wild onion. Ree had been a trainer long enough to know how soon vegetables went bad, but these all seemed fairly fresh.

"How close are we to Nimbasa?"

"I don't know. I think it's still a couple days, though."

"Where did you..." She gestured to the garden Tori had at her knees.

She laughed self-consciously. "Oh! Well, Duvamalkin!"

"...What."

Tori reached into a pouch on her hip and withdrew a minimized pokeball. She released a large brown pokémon with sharp, metal extensions on its claws and head, almost like a helmet. Mitzi squealed and dove for Ree's backpack. She resurfaced with Whippy's pokeball and before Ree could stop her, released him.

The servine surveyed the scene with confusion. He eventually sat down by Mitzi and patted her on the head, though his eyes were on the new pokémon. Tori didn't seem bothered and patted the pokémon affectionately. "This is Duvamalkin, or just Duva. He's my excadrill, and he can find edible foods really easy. He loves digging, I mean, and finds all sorts of stuff when I turn him loose."

"So he can find you food?" She knew grass pokémon were capable of identifying healthy-to-eat plants, but that didn't look like a grass pokémon.

"Oh yes. And out of the desert, in this area, there's enough water to support all kinds of plant life. In cities, he has a habit of digging into people's gardens, but it's usually safe enough out here to turn him loose. You'd be surprised what can grow wild."

Lala eyed the excadrill with obvious suspicion. Then, she bounded off without a word. Ree rolled her eyes, but she was surprised when she came back just a few moments later. She had a handful of some sort of herb clenched in her tiny fist. She all but threw it at Ree, practically telling her 'see, he's not special, I can do that too'. "...Is this edible?" Ree held the plant out for Tori to inspect.

"Hmm, well... I assume so. Grass pokémon are really good at identifying that sort of stuff. I just trust whatever Duva brings back, and he works more underground," she admitted. "But I'm sure if we cook it, it'll be fine! Looks like it could be some sort of seasoning."

"If you poison us, I'll throw up on you again," Ree threatened. Lala stuck out her tongue in response. Her stomach was already queasy from the unhealthy diet and lack of water from earlier, and she didn't want anything foreign or remotely poisonous to further upset it.

Her phone went off suddenly, making most of them jump. Scowling, Ree hit the ignore button. She still didn't want to talk to Scott. Tori looked at her curiously, clearly torn between asking about it and staying politely quiet. She didn't say anything and went back to handing vegetables to her pokémon. Her ducklett would wash them, and her excadrill would chop them into pieces.

Her scrafty came back with two armfuls of relatively dry branches and sticks for the fire. He sat down and yawned, then leaned against Tori's back and appeared to fall asleep. "I'll wake you when dinner's ready, okay?" Riddick grunted. Tori caught Ree's look and smiled self-consciously. "I know, I know, he's a dark pokémon and falling asleep in the early evening. It's not even full dark out yet. But he wakes up early with me, and he likes to fight during the day."

"No, that's cool, I guess. My pokémon are all pretty diurnal, but I had a liepard and he was up at all hours and asleep on a random schedule, too."

They lapsed into a slightly uncomfortable silence. Tori continued preparing the soup that was to be their supper, and waved off all of Ree's attempts to offer help. She did try to urge Lala to gather more herbs, but the whimsicott ignored the plea and instead spent her time throwing little bits of grass into the fire. Seeing this, Harper flapped off and came back with a twig with a couple dark berries on them.

"Oh, good girl, Harper. You're a good birdie, yes you are." She wasn't sure if they were edible, either, but they were clearly good enough for her pidove. She brought back a couple more twigs with them on it, eager to please.

Ree eventually decided to read to pass the time. The potatoes and turnips would take awhile to cook fully, after all, and their fire wasn't all that hot. The wood around there wasn't the best for it.

She had long since figured out that firelight and a flashlight were more than enough for her to read by. She propped herself up by a tree, ignoring her stomach's complaints, and jammed her flashlight in the crook of her shoulder. Harper came back and added to the pile of berries with a tweet, then looked up at her. Ree smiled and she flapped up to perch on her shoulder. She would've been embarrassed had Harper known how to read, but she was past such shame now.

"What are you reading?" Tori, on the other hand, was another matter.

"Oh, um. A romance novel." Standard euphemism for smut, but Ree couldn't give up the habit. Tori only looked confused.

"That sounds cool. What's it about?" She obviously didn't get it, and Ree really didn't want to outline what little plot there was.

"It's about ranch hands and it's, uh, _really_ romantic." Tori's blank look continued. "Don't you know what a romance novel is?"

"Isn't it... a novel with a love story?" Ree's look had to have tipped her off. The blonde girl paused and looked down at her lap, then back up at Ree. The realization came over her quite visibly and she reddened. Not quite as bad as Harry, but it was still easy to see by firelight. Reminded of her lost friend, Ree moodily returned to reading. It wasn't all sex, but there was enough in there to taunt her.

_Wait, why am I continuing reading this when it only makes me perpetually horny? Goddamn you, Scott, I'll—_

"You're reading about _sex_?"

Ree looked up at her. She sounded positively scandalized and looked appropriately astonished to boot. Since Tori was her source of water—and human company—Ree decided that a certain amount of tact was needed for the poor, sheltered girl. "Uh, yeah. It's the culmination of a great love story. You know, marriage and babymaking and all that."

That calmed her significantly and only made Ree feel guilty. She wasn't technically lying, since there _was_ a marriage in the book. It was just between two minor characters who had little value within the plot. Not to mention how out of order she herself was doing things... Tori awkwardly avoided eye contact for awhile after that, clearly unsure of how to judge Ree and her taste in books. Ree normally didn't mind such scrutiny, but combined with her condition and avoidance of her own boyfriend, it was beginning to make her uncomfortable as well.

They were both saved by such tension in the air when Ree had to throw up.

She stumbled out into the forest and vomited into a bush, thankfully not on anything. Harper squawked and fluttered around, and Whippy and Mitzi were at her side in seconds. "Ser? Servine-ser?"

"I'm fine," Ree lied and wiped her chin. Well, now she was definitely even hungrier for supper. What evil deity said morning sickness could come at seven at night, anyway?

"Oh my gosh, Ree! Are you okay? Are you feeling well?" Tori hovered around, fretting.

"Yeah, I'm fine now. I was just... It was a little stomachache." She wasn't Harry or Kev. Ree sullenly followed her back to the firelight, rubbing her stomach. The wet washcloth was brought back out and Ree was instructed to drink small sips of water at regular intervals.

"And you just got over some of your dehydration, too... Corina! Add a little bit more water to the soup. I want it watered down a bit more."

"You don't have to. I'll be okay," Ree said guiltily.

"I just don't want you getting sick again. And it means we'll have more for breakfast, okay? You just lay back down, it'll be ready shortly." It was as if Tori arrived in her life specifically to remind her of Harry's caring tendencies, guilt her for keeping her pregnancy a secret from everyone, and judge her on her taste in fiction.

Ree sighed and held out her hand. "Whippy, give me the guidebook." After some fishing and guessing, he obediently brought her _A Trainer's Guidebook To Unova_. She decided to go through the chapter on the Unovan Field Operations, but hardly got a page in before Tori was asking her where her dishes were.

"So, your team is pretty nice." Tori was back to normal conversation once everyone was sipping hot soup. Ree was glad for it, though the guilt was still gnawing at the back of her mind. "You don't have any strict carnivores on your team, that's really good." Tori's team wasn't the trio Ree had met, but actually four—she also had a young cubchoo named Cole. "What exactly do servine eat?"

"Oh, pretty much everyone. Lots of sweets," she replied flatly. Whippy beamed proudly, earning a giggle from Mitzi. "He'll eat his own kills, but seems fine with vegetables and fruit, too."

"That sounds pretty healthy. Riddick is sort of the same way. Since he's a fighter, he needs a lot of protein, so he usually finds something during the day. I'm always kind of relieved when pokémon can take care of themselves, since I tend to worry about them. Corina and Cole are really young, too..."

"They do seem younger." Not to mention unevolved. "Are they newer?"

"Oh, yes. Riddick was my first pokémon, and Duva was my second. He's actually older," Tori said cheerfully, nodding to each in turn. The scrafty puffed out his chest with obvious pride. "Cole is my newest, but I haven't had either of the babies for very long."

"How long have you been training?"

"Actually, a couple years, but off and on. I never actually went after the badges before, though, so this is my first run at the gyms. What about you?"

"Mine too. I mean, first time training properly, first time challenging the gym circuit. I haven't had any of these guys for very long, but Whippy was obviously my starter."

"What do you mean by 'properly', if I may ask?"

"I've tried to train a couple times before," Ree said vaguely. "It never worked out, for various reasons. Usually just laziness on my part. This time, I'm definitely going for it, though."

They continued chatting politely through the meal. Riddick soon fell asleep again, and Mitzi was yawning, too. Ree couldn't bring herself to read any longer and it had been a rather long day, so they settled in for a relatively early night. She made a show of eating a couple more of the berries Harper had brought her, but decided to save the rest for breakfast. They were surprisingly bitter, too. Tori returned Corina and Cole back into their pokeballs, but left her older pokémon out beside her.

Ree's pokémon just wiggled into her sleeping back with her. Even Lala seemed unusually social and allowed part of her fluff to be used as a pillow for Whippy and Mitzi. Her stomach was still a little upset, but she was too tired to care. At least she hadn't lost face with her baby doctor, she had survived the day, and she wasn't going to go crazy from lack of human interaction. She couldn't get rid of the guilt, however.

And it wasn't just guilt for all of the awkwardness with Tori. Tori was sweet, but still a relative stranger. Lying to her about her pregnancy was easy. But Scott... Ree couldn't help but scroll through the texts he'd sent her.

"_Is it something I did? are you mad at me?_"

"_Maya is really worried, I wish you would at least talk to her. ignore me if you want okay_"

"_why are you doing this ree_"

"_I miss you._"

The guilt was for leaving her boyfriend behind. Even the guilt at continuing to ignore Maya couldn't compare to what she was feeling. She had a small feeling the crazy pregnancy hormones could be to blame for some of this, but Ree shut her phone before she did something stupid like cry or text him back. She curled up, tangling her legs around Whippy's long tail, and buried her face in Lala's fluff.

She ended up having a nightmare about a golden liepard chasing after her, who ended up eating an off-color watchog instead as Ree offered it up as bait. It woke her in the middle of the night, causing her to wonder why she dreamt of pokémon she didn't own so often. She fell back asleep after making sure everything was alright.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: The harsh reality of training and human nature slaps Ree across the face, and _hard_.


	16. Of Attachment

"Come _on_, Harper! This way!" Ree scrambled up into the nearest tree, scraping her hands on the rough bark and ignoring it. Her pidove flapped into the higher branches, laughing in that birdlike way of hers. She wove in and out of the leaves, and eventually alighted on the windowsill to Ree's room. After much huffing and puffing, Ree made it to the branch nearest her window. "I'd like to see you climb up that without your wings."

"Pii," Harper replied, beak in the air.

Ree's first pokémon had been a pidove named Harper. They lasted a week together with Maya, at which point Ree and Harper returned home. She was welcome to keep her, though she was full of energy and had to be exercised with random battles often. Ree didn't mind, but she had to admit, she was worried about school; how would she give her pokémon the time and care she needed then?

Ree had thought she'd be fine. Harper was already stronger than the other pidove in the area. He had never been in a battle, bred and raised as a pet pokémon. But he was still a predator.

Ree came back up to her room after going grocery shopping with her father. She had gotten the sunflower seeds that Harper liked so much.

She found Aubie crouched over her pidove. Ree stared at them both, unable to comprehend the scene. The purrloin dropped Harper's wing and ran out of the room, between her legs, tail held low. Harper laid there on the floor, dried blood all around her. Her feathers were ruffled and broken and missing in patches. One wing looked like it was broken. She was missing a foot.

She was dead.

Ree scrubbed at the blood on her floor until it all came out. She lit a scented candle to hide the smell and kept her window wide open. She cleaned up all of the stray feathers and threw them away. She buried Harper in a shallow grave beneath one of the bushes along the house, mutely and stubbornly. There was no grave marker.

"Ree, sweetie? Where did your pidove go?" It was later that evening that her parents finally noticed.

"Oh, I let her go. She wasn't cut out for being a pet," Ree told them, dry-eyed and innocent and all too easy to believe. No one ever found out what really happened to Harper. It took Ree seven months to stop crying herself to sleep.

-.-.-

**Chapter Sixteen**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Attachment

-.-.-

Ree awoke to sunlight assaulting her eyelids. She rolled over with a growl, but her internal clock already told her it was morning and daylight. She wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. That, and she needed to pee, desperately.

She was only slightly surprised to see that Tori was already up. After relieving herself, she sat back down on her sleeping bag and rummaged around for her brush. Her hair was so much easier to take care of, shorter and straighter. "Good morning!" Ree could tell by the amount of cheer that Tori was one of _those_ people. Those morning people. "How did you sleep?"

"Well enough, I guess. How long have you been up?"

"Oh, since sunrise." Ree couldn't help but cringe. Tori chuckled, but didn't seem bothered. "Riddick and I always get up at dawn to do our yoga. It's a little chilly, but it's always so peaceful and calm. You're welcome to join me tomorrow—I just didn't want to wake you today since you weren't feeling very well last night."

"Uh, I think I'll pass. Thanks." The last time Ree had seen the sunrise on purpose was because she had stayed up all night. And even that had had unpleasant side effects to her sleep schedule.

They reheated some of the soup for breakfast. It wasn't too bad, though Ree's stomach was still a little angry at the world. She really hoped it didn't continue for much longer. It was one matter to be sick enough to throw up, and quite another to be in a constant state of _almost_ being sick enough to throw up for hours at a time. Harper brought back more berries. They were still bitter, but they helped calm Ree's stomach a bit. It was also entertaining to watch Whippy greedily gobble down a handful, only to find out, too late, about the utter lack of sweetness.

They chatted idly as they continued heading north. Tori let three of her pokémon roam, but kept her cubchoo inside his pokeball. She said it was because the weather was too warm, but Ree had the odd feeling that there was something else to it as well. She didn't press, however.

Every time they took a break, Tori made a point of stretching. Ree recognized some as yoga poses, but surely some of those positions she had to be making up. The girl was absurdly flexible and seemed a little twitchy if she wasn't stretching or moving her limbs at any given moment. Tori kept them all well hydrated, tiptoeing the line between motherly and neurotic, but it didn't bother Ree as much as she would've imagined. The younger girl was endearing, in a bizarre way. She wasn't sure how or why.

It took another two days, but they reached Nimbasa City in more or less good health. Ree was still having stomach problems, but she was now certain that it was morning sickness and not more dehydration issues. She usually managed to hide it from Tori, although she could tell that the younger trainer was still worrying. It'd almost be easier to tell her about the pregnancy, just to get her off her back.

But over the two days, Ree had learned a lot about her. She came from the tiny Anville Town, which sort of explained her sheltered worldview. She had had pokémon since she was ten, but hadn't left her hometown until about a year ago to pursue her badges. She had three and was headed for her fourth, too. Ree had let out little bits of her life before training in exchange for this information, but she had been very picky about what to reveal. Tori had made it clear she didn't approve of underage drinking or semi-legal activity in general, which ruled out a lot of fun stories she could've shared.

Nevermind premarital sex and an accidental pregnancy.

Yeah, Ree had a feeling Tori may not be as understanding or supportive as Harry had been. Or even Kev, for that matter.

"A room for two, please," Tori requested, all brightness and smiles. The nurse on duty tried to return her cheer and rummaged around for their room keys. Ree honestly didn't mind spending more time with her; she made for an excellent training partner on top of a great conversationalist, barring topics of romance novels, alcohol, and poison pokémon.

"You two will be on the second floor, all the way down at the end. Room 223."

"Thank you! C'mon, Ree, let's drop off our stuff."

She jammed her hands in her pockets, already feeling days' worth of trash and lint. It'd be nice to rest her feet and sleep in a bed again. Her sleeping bag hadn't done anything to pad that rock she'd slept on last night. "It's too early for supper, so wanna hit the town after this?"

"Sure. I don't want to restock on the necessary items until we're ready to leave again, but I have to get a new pair of yoga pants since my other pair split down the back seam..." Tori laughed awkwardly. _That_ had been a fun thing to point out. Ree had been sure the blonde would explode when she had mentioned the hole in the seat of her pants.

"Hey, I'm _always_ up for clothes shopping." Her backpack—and back—begged to differ, however. Ree had a feeling she had hit the happy medium of clothes to weight ratio, but old habits were hard to break. And as they had gotten closer to the city, the more trainers there had been. Whippy was in top form and Harper had gotten it in her head to want to catch up, so she had plenty of spending money thanks to all of the battles they had won for her.

The girls dropped off their things with sighs of matching relief. Tori excused herself to the bathroom and Ree laid down on the bed, savoring the softness. Her feet complained in her boots, sweaty and sore. The last couple days couldn't compare to the hell that had been the desert, but it had been the longest she'd ever been outside a city in a straight shot before. And she knew later routes would be even longer, taking weeks to traverse...

_Tori just assumes we'll keep traveling together since we're matched on badges_, she thought idly, staring up at the wall behind the head of the bed. Unlike in other centers, this room had pokeball-themed wallpaper. The waves of little spheres made her a tad dizzy. _I just assumed Harry would continue with me, too. I don't want to stick around when I start showing and she gets curious..._

With lighter bags and after appreciating indoor plumbing, as well as the joy of throwing up in the privacy of a bathroom, Ree set off with Tori into Nimbasa. She had never actually been there before, though Maya had sent her a ton of pictures the last time she had been there. She was surprised that the large ferris wheel was almost always visible, blinking and winking and oh so inviting. She knew there was a theme park as well as a gym in the city, but they celebrated it so openly. There weren't the tall skyscrapers of Castelia here.

Ree was a good girl and didn't get anything too heavy when out shopping for Tori, and Tori, true to her own words, only got a new pair of pants. It was sad, really. Of all the things in her life, the last thing she'd expected training to take from her was shopping. Hell, she had more spending money than ever and she used it on medical bills and cheap food.

"What's your favorite color?" Tori asked out of the blue, drawing Ree away from a particularly tempting rack of skirts.

"To wear? Or...?"

"Oh, for anything, I suppose." Then, it was Ree's turn to guide her companion away from the shoe section as they passed it. At least they had shopping in common. Safe, fun, entertaining shopping, and Ree couldn't enjoy it. Well, she supposed she could save up all her money and spend it in the hugest shopping spree in Unovan history after the baby was born and she could return home...

"Oh, I like green, and purple. And the red of Whippy's eyes."

"Haha, that's so cute."

Ree put down a straw hat and glared at her over the rack. Tori hid behind a beret with another giggle. "He has fu—he has _blood red_ eyes. It's a strong, scary color."

"No, I mean that you like your starter so much. It's cute," she amended, still smiling and still trying to hide it. Ree rolled her eyes. "I'm the same way. I only started liking orange after I had Riddick for awhile. Though I've always liked blue."

"Yeah, you wear enough of it."

"We can't all throw on whatever we happened not to throw up on. I like wearing nice exercise clothes when out on routes," Tori pointed out. They finally tore themselves away from the hats—and straight into the dangerous waters of jewelry.

"Or bleed on," Ree mumbled. She had been spotting again. It hadn't been nearly as bad as that first time, but she still had to try to see if the blood could come out of two pairs of panties. To be fair, Tori had cut open her thigh and now had a light blue-and-red sweatshirt that she'd used to staunch the bleeding, so they were both guilty parties.

Tori waved dismissively, eying the display of birthstone jewelry. Ree leaned over her shoulder. Her birthday was just a couple of days away, come to think of it. This was far from how she'd expected to spend her eighteenth. The necklaces and earrings sparkled in the display lights, so inviting and beautiful and tempting for two girls with too much spending cash.

Jewelry was light. It wouldn't bog down her backpack with more weight or take up much room.

Ree was never one to resist impulse buying. Or impulses of any kind. She was already casting a keener eye over the month of September, beautiful blue sapphires, trying to find a gift for herself. It wasn't like she'd be getting anything else from anyone else, after all. Perfect reason to splurge. She liked the corkscrew earrings she had taken with her, but a bracelet or necklace would be a good choice. Easy to take care of and show off, but easy enough to hide if need be.

Oh, she was just talking herself more and more into this.

Deciding to go big rather than go home, Ree started hunting for the perfect gift. She'd earn more money from battling in the city and in the gym, so she really did have a sizable budget for herself. There were some pretty crosses, but she had never been religious, and she wanted to avoid the usual fare of tear drops and circles and squares.

"You seem to be looking at those pretty seriously," Tori remarked, tone light.

"I think I'm gonna get something."

"Woah, really? This is pretty expensive, Ree..."

"Just a present to myself." There were various pokémon pendants scattered throughout the birthstones, but those didn't really appeal to her. There were a couple of lockets, and she toyed with the idea of getting one to put pictures in, but what _sort_ of picture gave her pause. Surely being reminded of Scott or Maya would be hell on her emotional state, and what pokémon would go in there? As close as she and Whippy were, he wasn't her first.

Then Ree alighted on the perfect pendant.

"Hey, sir, can I see this one?" she asked excitedly, jabbing her finger down at the glass. The man and Tori both gave a pointed look at the smudge she left behind, but he unlocked the case and withdrew a silver chain with a key attached. The key was made of silver as well, though there was a sapphire at the head. A little pricier than she had anticipated, but she already liked it.

"Ohh, it's so pretty. But... Ree, that's sort of expensive."

"Yeah..." Doing the mental math, Ree was a little concerned about her finances afterward. "Can you put this on reserve for me?"

"For how long?" He didn't sound terribly pleased with the idea, but it was apparently allowed. He was probably too used to trainers reserving things and then skipping town.

"Uh, a week should be fine. Just gotta go kick some serious ass beforehand," she murmured, earning a cough from Tori. He gave her a couple of things to fill out and sign, and Ree parted after a down payment. It seemed to give him peace of mind, at least. She was pleased, too. Sure, it would be expensive, but she _wouldn't_ be getting anything else, and she liked shiny things. It'd be her prize to herself for beating Elesa, too.

"Impulse buy or are you secretly _nouveau riche_?" Tori asked once they were safely out of the store without any further purchases.

Ree grinned and shrugged. "I could be old money. I could be a lord or lady for all you knew," she teased.

"_Lady_ Ree," Tori replied grandly, giving her a deep bow.

"Oh my, it's so nice to finally be referred to properly again. It pains me so to have to blend in with the peasants." Ree pressed a hand to her brow with a heavy sigh. "Anyway, the sun's still kinda up, so let us beat on the other peasants for monetary gains until I am satisfied!"

"Oh, let's. Does this mean I'm a lady by association?"

"I don't think it works that way."

"Drat. Well, let's go find some trainers to shake down, and then shall we, uh, tackle the lady of the thunder on the morrow?"

"Huh?"

"I was trying to think of some sort of title for Elesa," she admitted. "I think I'm ready to take her on if you are. But I've had Riddick and Duva for years longer than yours, so it's up to you."

"Oh." Her team had been golden thus far, but she knew she had been lucky, too. Then again, Elesa was an electric gym leader, and she had two grass pokémon, who were resistant to electricity. Evolved grass pokémon to boot. "Sure, I think I could swing it. Bring it on."

-.-.-

"Everyone thinks we're together and I have to get going." Scott only raised his eyebrows as he looked up at Maya. She had her fists on her hips, looking just like her sister. Albeit half a foot shorter, with shorter hair, and greener eyes. The strong, tough pose was more Ree than Maya, though.

He wasn't sure which part he should reply to. They were starting week three in Castelia together, trying to catch Ree in the city, but he doubted she was still there. The annoyingly familiar receptionist at Burgh's gym refused to tell them whether or not she had obtained her badge, but that was certainly a giveaway. Scott just wasn't sure what to do.

Maya blustered on without needing an answer. "She's not here anymore—we both know that. But I can't go chasing her up through the desert with my team right now, and I have to see Alder for some more discussion about what happened in Sinnoh."

"It was your own fault for ignoring him," he replied evenly.

She reddened in anger. "I-It was _not_! I came back home, and I was tired, and I found out my sister was MIA! It wasn't like I completely ignored him—we had a however many hour flight to discuss all of that crap together, anyway..."

"Don't ignore the champion. Our relations aren't getting any prettier, so just go see what's up." Scott continued staring up at her, and sure enough, she wasn't leaving. There was more to it. "And...?"

"And... I have my own stuff to do." She had a boy she'd been traveling with for several months, he knew. So _that's_ what was bothering her. He resisted the urge to chuckle. "I mean, if Ree is dead set on doing this, nothing short of the gates of hell are going to stop her. She doesn't need babysitting."

"I just want answers."

"She's stubborn and rebellious."

"She hasn't spoken to either of us in a week," he shot back. "Maya, I'm not mad at you for wanting to return to your life. You have your obligations and that's okay. I don't have much going on right now, so I'm going to keep following her."

She winced. "You're really going to go through the desert...?"

"I caught Nigel there, and Vince doesn't mind it. It won't be tough or take me that long."

"Well. ...You do that, then. I'm sorry, but I have to get going. I'll try to catch her in a later city, if you don't catch up with her beforehand. If all else, I can try to call in favors and get a gym leader to tattle on her when she challenges them, I guess..." Maya sighed and shook her head, looking defeated. Scott couldn't help but smile.

"She'll start slowing down soon enough."

"If she's running away from us, she won't be happy when you catch up."

"You think I can't handle your sister? I've been doing fine up until now."

Maya gave him an awkward pat on the head and he noticed that she already had her backpack slung over one shoulder. She was actually going to leave then and there. "Good luck, Scottie. I'll keep calling and texting her, and I know she'll break eventually. If you find out what she's up to, share?"

"Sure. You keep me updated on whatever progress you make, too. And good luck with that poor boy toy of yours."

"He's not—!"

"No judgment here, just don't run this one off, too," he cut her off. She was still flushed, but now scowled darkly at him. "See you around, squirt. Good luck being an ace trainer and all that. I'll get your sister and rein her back in."

Maya left with another huff. Scott knew she was busy, especially in the wake of what was happening on the international front, and he knew he couldn't have counted on her help for long. He had spent much of his journey alone, much longer than most other trainers, and was used to it. He could probably travel faster alone, anyway, now that Ree was on the move again.

Scott left later that day after purchasing some go-goggles and supplies. Hopefully the sandstorm wouldn't be too bad, but he wasn't going to risk it again. The last time he had fought his way through the desert, it had been during a particularly bad streak of weather, and had been blinded just about the entire week. Getting lost hadn't helped things.

It took some doing to convince Rocio that it was a good idea to head through the desert again, but with a promise to keep her in her pokeball unless he absolutely needed her, they were set. Barbeque seemed a little excited to be returning to hot weather, and Nigel was downright ecstatic to be in the desert again. Vince, as always, was just glad to be out and about, and the sand whipping every which way didn't bother him in the least.

Scott put his hair in the closest thing to a bun he could manage, just to keep it out of his face. Even then, it was frustrating. Having to return to training so suddenly was frustrating, come to think of it, and having to chase after his girlfriend for some answers he should have gotten before she had left was frustrating. Unless, of course, she had left _him_. Which was starting to make more and more sense, since he hadn't properly spoken to her in too long.

He wasn't sure when his patience would finally snap, but he knew when it did, Ree would simply fight back. This wasn't going to end well unless he could catch up to her in the least amount of time possible and hope to catch her in a pleasant mood. He just hoped that happened before getting answers out of her was more a matter of spite than confusion.

-.-.-

"So we're not all that badly matched for her," Tori observed over breakfast. Ree bobbed her head in agreement, mouth full of delicious, delicious bacon. Oh, she had missed properly cooked meat. By the way her pokémon were eating, so had they. "I mean, I have a ground pokémon, so I plan on just running through her, pretty much! And you have Whippy and Lala, so they'll fare pretty well, I think?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm counting on."

"Do you want to take on any trainers and then heal back up before we take her on?"

"I think it'd be better to start as fresh as possible. Gyms usually have trainers in there, too, that can kinda act as practice. And we don't want any accidental injuries beforehand if we can help it," Ree replied. Tori nodded, and their plan was set.

They finished up their meal at the center and headed out into Nimbasa. The weather was still pleasantly warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The gym was easy enough to find, and it was still early enough that there wasn't a wait to get in. What was surprising was the layout of the gym's interior. It was set in stylish dark colors with neon lighting all around them for emphasis, but there was a roller coaster's track meeting them just inside. The gym was massive, larger than any other, and the track wound about with twists, turns, and a loop on the far side of the room.

Ree's stomach gave a nasty, apprehensive churn.

As they watched, nerves finally catching up with the both of them, the cars on the coaster whizzed by on a sharp turn above their heads, the two male trainers in it screaming shrilly. Ree hadn't noticed several platforms scattered about the massive space, and the cars slowed down to a full stop at one. One of the boys got out, shakily, and pulled a switch. The roller coaster's tracks lit up with bright blue.

"...It's a puzzle," Tori realized, horrified. "It's a high speed _puzzle_."

"Look, each of the platforms are color-coded. I bet that's how you get around."

"And there are an awful lot of gym trainers in here. They're guarding them."

"Well, we had wanted some practice..."

Neither girl could bring themselves to approach the empty set of cars that was in front of the entrance. The receptionist was smiling at them expectantly, ready to answer any questions, but they knew what they had to do. Ree's stomach was not pleased with the layout of this gym, no sir, and Tori didn't seem overly fond of the roller coaster gimmick, either.

"Those tracks go pretty high up," Ree remarked in a small voice. The ground they were standing on wasn't the floor, either; that was far below, allowing for several dips in the track and one lower platform with a pair of trainers in a corner. Heights, too. This gym was a masterpiece of everything she didn't want to deal with. All it needed was Scott and Maya as gym trainers and she'd be set.

"Don't like heights?" Tori asked and Ree shook her head. She wasn't sure if the younger trainer could tell how pale she had gotten in the dim lighting. She wasn't sure she wanted to know herself. "...How's your stomach?"

"Let's just get this over with."

They got into the car and the bar came over their heads. An attendant made sure they were safely secured and made sure to mention that this was completely safe, and not as fast as any of the other roller coasters in the amusement park, but has still been called 'fun'. Now she could see that Tori was rapidly paling as well, and her knuckles were white from gripping the bar so tightly.

It started off slowly, ticking its way up an incline, and across the room, the boys slid to a halt in front of Elesa. As they gained altitude, Ree looked around at the other platforms. She counted off at least four, plus two lower ones she had seen earlier. She didn't want to look down. Then, they crested the hill and rocketed downward, and Ree was screaming. She could dimly hear Tori's scream beside her.

It felt like too soon that they were abruptly slowing down, and Ree's stomach was already having none of it. The car had barely stopped and the bar was only half up and she was scrambling onto the platform, leaning over the edge. She heaved, once, but nothing came up. Her stomach still wanted to.

Tori tentatively placed her hand on her back, rubbing little circles. "Are you going to be okay?"

"J-Just give me a minute," she gasped, eyes squeezed shut. She didn't need this. She didn't need the heights or the speed or her stomach trying to come up for the umpteenth time in the past couple days. She was _tired_ of being sick, goddamn it.

She wasn't going to throw up, at least not this time. But Ree could tell she wasn't going to survive this gym. Tori handed her her water bottle and she took a couple of little sips, settling her stomach enough for her to get back to her feet and approach the two disinterested trainers guarding the lever. They were probably used to sick trainers. Hopefully not for the same reason.

"Is a double battle alright?" the elder of the two asked politely.

"Yeah," Tori agreed at once. She gave Ree a grin and released her excadrill. Ree sent out Lala. The platform wasn't that large, which would restrict their movements, but she was sure Lala would be able to manage. The pair across from them sent out matching pokémon, two rodent-like ones with black and yellow markings. They weren't all that large or fearsome.

"Okay, Lala, let's play this one a little—" Her whimsicott would have nothing to do with anything as petty as commands during battles. Ree sighed as she darted forward, shaking off stun spore like it was going out of style. Duvamalkin backed up with an annoyed grunt, nearly getting a dosage himself.

"Start off with a mud slap!" Tori called out and her excadrill shook out copious amounts of dirt from his claws and helmet, then started slinging it at their opponents.

Then two thoroughly non-bird pokémon leapt out of the way, _off_ of the platform, and soared out of their range. They landed neatly on one of the tracks of the roller coaster, giggling amongst themselves, and started running up it to gain height.

"They... they're fliers," Tori said dumbly, mouth agape.

"Aerial ace!" One of the pair of presumably electric pokémon jumped down, little arms extended. Only then did Ree notice the flaps of skin between them, allowing them to glide. It wasn't quite flying, but they were still airborne and quite good at it.

It slammed into Lala, though she tried to dodge, and they both went skidding. She snarled and tore at it, coating it with her golden dust, but it was still terribly fast. It got out of her grasp and lunged for the track once more, running up to join its cohort.

The battle went downhill from there. Lala was defeated and Ree swapped her out for Mitzi. At least they couldn't score a super effective hit on her. Tori had swapped out her pokémon as well, since his ground attacks were useless and everything else was close-range, which the opposing pokémon, emolga, could dodge fairly easily. Her ducklett couldn't be used in the electric gym and since they were talented with flying move attacks, she couldn't even use her starter.

Her cubchoo, Cole, was obviously weaker than they were, but it had the typing advantage. It kept the pair of emolga away from Mitzi, who could attack with swift fairly accurately. This wasn't how they were supposed to be taking the gym. They won the battle, but just barely.

"Well fuck me," Ree groaned and started pouring potions down Mitzi's throat. She was a little scraped up and her fur was still static-y, but conscious, at least.

"Language," Tori scolded. "...But yeah. I wasn't expecting that."

"Harper can't handle electricity and Whippy and Lala... Mitzi is kind of the baby of the team. This isn't going to go well."

"I'm sure there will be exclusively electric pokémon, too. That was just some bad luck." She didn't sound very reassuring. They carefully got back into the car and Ree braced herself. This section of the track didn't go up quite as high as the last one, but she was still uncomfortably aware of just how high they were—and there, that last twist upset her stomach again.

This time, she threw up over the edge of the cart before they were even released from it. She could hear the distant splatter of it hitting the floor, too far below. There was only one trainer at this stop, and Tori offered to take him while Ree sat in the car and sipped at water, grumpy and disgusted.

The trainer only had a blitzle, which was a mercy for them both. Duvamalkin took care of it in a one-two punch of mud slaps, but they waited on the platform a little bit longer for Ree's stomach to finish settling. Not that she could throw much else up, but dry heaving was even less fun.

"This sucks. I _hate_ this gym."

"At least we know what we're up against now. And blitzle will be easy for Lala or Whippy to handle. We can still do this."

As it turned out, they couldn't do it. The next pair of trainers had more emolga, and the younger Cole and inexperienced Mitzi couldn't handle them. Ree ended up dry heaving over the edge again, too. The only good thing was that the trainers felt so sorry for them that they didn't take any money from them. They had to ride the roller coaster all the way around the gym to get back out, which was a huge design oversight, and Ree was thoroughly sick by the time they finally made it back to the entrance. Even Tori was looking a little green.

They wordlessly made their way back to the pokémon center and passed over their injured pokémon. Ree collapsed on a sofa, uncomfortably sweaty and hungry. Tori came back with another water bottle for her, but she didn't even think she could keep that down. Not for awhile longer, at any rate. For being in a city famous for its entertainment and leisure value, she wasn't having very much fun.

-.-.-

The next day, when Ree was feeling better—miraculously, all of that purging seemed to have temporarily chased away her morning sickness, too—they trekked out into the wilderness once more for training. The city didn't actually have that many trainers willing to battle, outside of some jocks, but there was too much electricity in the city. It was better to just head south a little ways and find trainers heading in and out, and even wild pokémon.

"Alright, I'm going to concentrate on getting Mitzi super strong. And you bring that cubchoo of yours up to par so we have something reliable to keep those damned emolga away."

Tori nodded wearily. "I still don't like the cursing, but I'm starting to agree with the sentiment. That just seems unfair, having electric pokémon who have an advantage against their main weakness, really. It _is_ unfair!"

Of course, neither was going to ignore the opportunity to train their other pokémon. They simply let them roam, and picked out trainer battles and stronger pokémon for their emphasis ones. Ree followed Mitzi around, pulling her over for the occasional trainer battle, and having her battle the larger things Lala brought back with her taunting. Whippy didn't seem to want to leave her alone with all of that fighting, but Mitzi seemed to understand the responsibility that had been placed on her small shoulders. She chased him off just as much as Ree did. He slunk off to find his own prey after one too many slaps of her tail.

Harper checked in occasionally, but she made sure to make a point of training just as hard as Mitzi. She showed up during most trainer battles, hovering around the edges, hoping for a turn. Ree gave her a couple—not out of sympathy, but because Mitzi and Harper were her only two unevolved ones. And although she wouldn't be using Harper for this gym challenge, it wasn't as if she wouldn't ever use her again.

They spent the next day out training, too. After the debacle at Elesa's gym, they were a little hesitant to return; it was easier to train. Better to be over prepared than get stomped into the curb again. Mitzi did learn how to turn her casual tail slapping into an actual, fairly damaging attack, and Harper learned how to self-heal with a roost move, which delighted Ree to no end. Lala did get into a little trouble when she pissed off a set of unfezant parents, but Mitzi and Whippy managed to chase them off. Overall, it was excellent progress.

Tori's team was working well, too. Cole had obviously never had hard training like this before and tired easily, but was eager to learn. Riddick and Duva were already stronger than needed, but it was just their typing. They usually acted as her team's Lala and lured stronger pokémon back for the cubchoo to battle, though several times, they had to step in and help the little pokémon.

On the third day of training, Ree's team had their first major breakthrough. Mitzi was doing marvelously, holding her own against any of the wild pokémon in the area, and Whippy had actually decided to nap rather than keep an eye on her. It was a big leap in how much he trusted her strength. Ree and Tori had been resting by the side of the path, hoping for another trainer to wander by. They were further south than usual, and the desert was visible in the distance. They'd been hoping to ambush tired trainers coming out of it.

Lala came rushing back, crying out in a panic. Ree rolled her eyes. She ought to learn that picking on baby pokémon would only make mothers angry, mothers who were often larger than the whimsicott. But she was surprised to see that it was Tori's scrafty following her at a sprint. Evidently, so was Tori. "Riddick—? What did she—"

Harper took to the air off of Ree's shoulder with an alarmed squawk. The scrafty managed to catch Lala in a flying tackle, barely catching enough of her fluff to send her to the ground, and it became apparent that that was _not_ Riddick. Lala sent a cloud of stun spore up into its face and then started draining energy from it, but it was only mildly annoyed. It brought back its fist and used some sort of fighting move. Ree could have sworn she'd heard a _crack_.

Lala screamed and a gust of wind blew up, and suddenly, she was out of its grasp and running faster than ever, bleeding from the mouth and snout. Mitzi and Harper breezed past her _toward_ the scrafty, despite Ree trying to call them back. Ree couldn't even run after them, since Lala threw herself at her trainer with a dry sob and sent Ree back to the ground.

Mitzi caught the scrafty off guard with a barrage of swifts, and it stumbled back. Harper pelted down at its face and began pecking and clawing, then backed up into the air once more to avoid its swipes at her. Mitzi used her new charm ability which temporarily caught it off guard, and Harper mercilessly rained down air cutters.

And before Ree knew it, her two little pokémon had defeated a fully evolved scrafty. It collapsed with a growl, with several bloody cuts from the barrage of attacks, and Harper cautiously pecked at it a couple more times before she was satisfied it was down and out. Tori heaved a sigh of relief, Cole protectively held in her arms. "Scrafty are really strong, I was worried there for a—oh!"

Harper, still perched on her fallen foe, began glowing. Ree fumbled for her phone, but Lala still clinging to her shirtfront made it difficult. "Shit, shit—Harper don't you _dare_ evolve without me—!" Her pidove did just that. Ree had just gotten her phone out of her pocket and flipped open when the glow wore off, revealing a larger, sleeker bird in her place.

"Tran?" she chirped, cocking her head to one side.

Ree sighed. She'd have to time it better in the future. Then she noticed that her phone wasn't even on, so she wouldn't have been able to record it, anyway. "...C'mere, you." Harper flitted over with a beaky grin. Mitzi followed in her wake, eyes large, staring in awe at the larger tranquill. Ree gently shifted Lala to one arm to take Harper in her other, nuzzling up against her cheek. Harper had evolved, and that meant more to her than the bird probably knew. She knew her namesake and this one were vastly different pokémon, but she was still reminded of her occasionally. Now, she had a feeling she'd never compare the two again.

Lala glared up at her, unnoticed by their trainer. Ree hugged them both to her chest. It was a sort of quiet happiness, not like Whippy's sudden evolution. She still wouldn't be using Harper in the gym match, but it was nice to have a stronger bird.

"Wow, Ree, congratulations! You too, Harper! She's so pretty, look at how dark her feathers are now!" Tori gushed, but kept her distance from the happy hug. Mitzi, however, threw herself into the pile without reservation, squealing happily.

Whippy slunk out of the forest behind them, yawning widely. Ree craned her head back to give him a halfhearted glare. "And where were _you_, mister? We just avoided a major disaster thanks to these two badasses, and my poor Lala... But look, we have a bigger Harper now."

Harper crowed, pleased with herself, and threw out her wings to show off her larger size. She had darker markings now, as well as a reddish slash just over either eye. She also had a very soft crest of feathers at the base of her neck, to Mitzi's joy. Whippy nodded and then slithered into their pile, taking Mitzi into his arms, then closed his eyes again.

"Well, let's head back now." Ree struggled to stand up with all of them in her arms. Combined, they were far too heavy for her to get off the ground. Harper flapped into the air, but it didn't lighten the load much. Finally, Ree managed to get Whippy off, and he took Mitzi with him, carrying her in his arms like Ree was carrying Lala. "I'll be back after Lala's checked over, if you wanna stay down here and work on yours."

"No, I'll come with. It won't hurt to have a break, and I'm getting a little hungry. We can eat while we're back up there." Tori stood up, dusting herself off with one hand, Cole still in her other. He sneezed, snot dribbling onto her arm, but she didn't seem to mind. "I think Cole would want a break in some air conditioning, too. It's a little warm out for him, poor baby."

Harper wheeled up higher into the sky. Corina followed her with a couple of honks. Tori called back her other two, returning them, but opted to carry Cole in her arms. They were a ways out of the city, but broke into a jog to speed things up. Their birds were enjoying the faster pace, though it was still slow enough that they spent some time circling around and doing lazy tricks through the air.

A flock of tranquill and unfezant broke out of the forest, at a sudden, far-off sound, and several of them flew up to investigate the other birds. Without any other pokémon to instigate, it looked as if Harper and Corina were actually alright simply socializing with wild pokémon. Ree could swear they were even chatting.

"You know, she could already carry Whippy around—well, when he was a snivy—when she was a pidove. I bet she'll be able to carry any of you guys now. She's a strong little bird," Ree said appreciatively, nodding up at the speck she was pretty sure was Harper. The ducklett beside her stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the rest of the birds, making them easy to spot.

"I know Corina can carry Riddick, and of course Cole, and can even lift me briefly. When she evolves, I think she'll be large enough to carry me, which I have to admit, will be pretty useful in some situations."

"I'm not sure I'll be able to use Harper as a mount as an unfezant. They're big birds, but they're not braviary or anything..."

"Even if she could lift you up and down ledges, or something like that, can be a huge help. I've had to use Riddick for boosts like that, and it can cut travel time _way_ down," Tori reasoned. "A lot less obstacles you have to go around."

"Hmm, maybe. We'll see how much stronger she is later." Ree wiped at Lala's bloody snout with her wrist. It seemed to have stopped bleeding, but the grass pokémon was still in a sour mood. There was another sharp sound out in the forest to their right, and a couple of the wild birds dropped lower. Harper and Corina took the hint and dove down with them. "What is that? We've been hearing it all morning, but it doesn't sound like any pokémon I've heard. It sounds kinda far-off, too."

"I've been wondering that, too. Though it sounds like it's been getting closer?" Tori tilted her head and listened, but the sound didn't come again. "Riddick and Duva never said anything about it."

"Ugh, you can really understand them, can't you?" Ree asked with a sigh. Tori nodded brightly. "Whippy, start working on your communication skills. This language barrier sucks."

"Ser," he said with a swish of his tail.

Overhead, Harper got into a competition with a wild tranquill. They arced and looped through the air, squawking at each other. Corina stayed well away, not quite built for the same acrobatics.

Then, the sound rang out again, all too close, echoing all around them. There was a spray of red and Harper jerked in the air. The rest of the birds scattered with panicked squawking.

Ree finally placed the sound as a gunshot. Harper fell.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: What do you think will happen when one Ree Majors, armed with a baseball bat and a team of pokémon, is confronted with this sort of situation?


	17. Of Violence

"Riddick," Tori rasped, then spat out a mouthful of something disturbingly coppery, "we got screwed."

"Scra," he agreed dully. With a great, pained groan, he managed to roll over, and he took her hand. Tori tried to smile and they both laid there in the rain. It wouldn't hurt to wait to move; they were probably already thought dead, anyway. The bleeding would either stop or not, but she didn't want to move all the same.

"I'll kill him."

"Scra."

"I know. I just—I want him dead. We didn't deserve this." And with that, Tori stopped holding back her tears. Her arm hurt, her pokémon were hurt, and she had just been betrayed by someone she had trusted. "No one deserved—any of this. No one does. Andrew didn't, and we didn't, and... Goddamn us, Riddick. We were so _stupid_."

His hand tightened on hers and he finally sat up with another pained groan. Her starter pulled her up alongside him. "Scraft," he said gently.

"I'm so sorry. This won't happen again." He gave her a look, but she shook her head. "No more. I'm done with this life, and I'm tired of all of this violence and bloodshed. You're not going to get hurt like this again, never again."

"Scrafty! Scraft—_scra_-scrafty," Riddick burst out and Tori looked away, biting her lip.

"...O-Okay. You win, Riddick. No revenge. We'll just leave." She shakily got to her feet, a little alarmed by how weak she felt. And cold. Perhaps lying in the rain with such wounds hadn't been the best course of action, after all. "No more anger, no more violence. Let's do this right."

-.-.-

**Chapter Seventeen**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Violence

-.-.-

Ree stared as her new tranquill fell from the sky, rooted to the spot. That hadn't just happened. It had been another tranquill, and hers would flap down to her in a panic in two seconds.

She had not just lost another Harper.

Whippy gave a cry and ran forward, dropping Mitzi, and disappeared into the forest in the direction she had fallen. Mitzi was on his tail, but paused before entering into the trees. "Min! _Min_!" It was her squeaky cries that finally got Ree placed back in reality.

Ree let Lala down and sprinted for the forest, ignoring Tori's cries of alarm behind her. The birds overhead were scattering and still squawking, and Corina had swooped low with several scared quacks. Whippy was long gone, but Mitzi was leading Ree as well she could through the foliage.

They came upon a small clearing. Whippy was on the edge of it, still, tensed. On the other side was a herdier, ears laid back and teeth silently bared. A big, burly man was kneeling next to Harper, a rifle propped up on his knee, wearing a bright orange vest.

Ree wasn't even aware of what she was doing until she had Sophia in her hands and it was already raised. The bat came down against the side of the man's head as he turned to face her with a metallic, hollow-sounding _tonk_. Everything seemed to be happening at once, too fast and too much. Whippy was on the herdier and they were both snarling and snapping at each other, and Mitzi was screaming at them both, trying to carry Harper away from where the man had collapsed next to her.

Ree raised the bat again, but Tori tackled her from behind, and they both went down to the grass. "Ree! What the hell are you _doing_?"

"He—"

"Qui...?" Ree froze, allowing Tori to pin her. Harper raised her head, still propped up against Mitzi, and blinked wearily. Her wing, near her shoulder, was a bloody mess, but it seemed as if that was the only problem. Harper was _alive_.

The tears came and Ree dropped Sophia, covering her eyes with a forearm. Harper was alive. She hadn't just lost another one. Tori took over from there, carefully releasing Ree and making sure to take the bat. She got Whippy and the herdier away from one another, and helped up the dazed man. Ree just laid there in the grass, crying like a baby.

-.-.-

Somehow, Tori got them all to Nimbasa in one piece. She put Ree in the pokémon center and gave Harper and Lala's pokeballs to the doctor, briefly explaining the situation. Then she escorted the man to the hospital personally, leaving Ree alone in the lobby. She was still a little weepy. She wanted to blame it on pregnancy hormones, but honestly, she hadn't known what she would have done if she had just lost another pokémon.

Or what she would have done had Tori not been there.

Ree stared down at her lap, and time passed. At some point, a nurse and an audino came over and asked her if the whimsicott was hers. "She has some bruising around the area, and did crack one rib. We recommend no battling for two weeks, and no strenuous activity for another two following that. We do recommend painkillers as well, though since she is a grass pokémon, she should heal quickly."

"Yeah. Just—give me whatever you recommend," Ree replied dully. Another cracked rib. Lala would be just as unruly as Whippy had been, no doubt, but her injury wasn't quite as severe, thankfully. But no evolution as an easy fix. Ree was given back a drowsy Lala, and the nurse offered to take Whippy and Mitzi in for a basic look-over and healing. She let them go and simply patted down Lala's fluff as she dozed.

Whippy and Mitzi came back to her before Harper did. They were both fine. Lala was fully asleep by then, and Whippy sat beside Ree on the couch, curled around the minccino. Ree gave him a pat on the back and kept staring down at Lala's fluff. She still didn't have a true concept of time, with her phone off and avoiding looking at the clock.

But at some point, Tori returned. She sat down unassumingly on Ree's other side. "You know, I'm scared of poison pokémon. That's why I don't want to talk about them."

Ree barely lifted her head, but she did glance out of the corner of her eye at the blonde trainer.

"The reason why I quit training before, it was a death. An accident, like that was. My brother and I had been out, and I had been training up Duva. There was a poison pokémon—an angry garbodor. Duva's immune to poison attacks, and he protected me. My brother protected us both, and he and his pokémon got poisoned. It was a slow, painful death," Tori told her, voice flat.

Ree raised her head and really looked at her, brow furrowed. She wasn't quite sure why she was telling her this, but she didn't want to hear about more tragedy right then.

"You today... You scared me just as much as that garbodor. You went _after_ that man, and you hadn't hesitated to attack him. It was an accident, and it was a terrible one, but you scared me today, Ree." Tori turned and met her gaze. "What would you have done if I hadn't been there?"

"I don't know," Ree replied honestly.

"It's..." Tori looked away again, wringing the end of the sash around her waist. "I _know_ you can get upset over your pokémon. I just want to protect Cole and Corina so much, but if Riddick gets hurt, I just want to _hurt_ something back. I understand that feeling."

"You don't sound like it," she mumbled, causing her to sigh.

"I've never had a metal baseball bat on me during those instances. It scares me that you did."

"I have to defend myself, it wasn't meant for that. I've already dealt with one attempted mugging and you know how high crime rate is. I'm not giving Sophia up."

"Self-defense is okay, and I'm glad you can... but... I don't know. Lashing out like that isn't healthy—or legal! What if you had seriously hurt him? Broken something?"

"He _shot_ Harper." Ree's throat constricted and her vision swam. She was painfully reminded that she still hadn't gotten any news of her tranquill's status.

"I know, I know, I'm sorry. He deserves to pay for that, even if it was an accident, but I'm trying to focus on _you_ here. I've already talked with the man. He didn't have a concussion, for which you're both lucky, and he's not pressing charges." The fact that he might hadn't even crossed her mind. Ree surely would've taken her bat to him again if he had tried. "He's even offered to cover Harper's medical bills."

"Well good!" Ree burst out.

"That's because he recognizes it as an accident and he's sorry. Harper... She'll be fine, I believe. She'll heal from this. Don't carry this anger inside of you forever because of this." And suddenly, Tori started crying, and Ree lost a lot of her steam. She sat there, awkwardly staring at her, unable to comprehend why _she_ was the one crying now. "I-I was just so scared, so worried about you today. I'm sorry. I just... I don't want you to become this—this monster of rage and anger and revenge. Don't become that, please."

"I was... just..." Ree looked down at the sleeping Lala. If any of her pokémon had gotten shot, she would have been upset. She had gotten angry at the pokémon who had broken Whippy's ribs. She was momentarily mad at the scrafty for hurting Lala, until it had been overshadowed by Harper's evolution. She was protective of them. She'd had Sophia, so she had had the _means_ to be protective of them. Was that so bad?

But Ree had a small, niggling thought in the back of her mind. It was something she didn't want to acknowledge—something she hadn't wanted to for quite some time.

Would she have gotten so upset at the swap in Nacrene if it hadn't been Harper who'd been traded for Jackster? Would she have still beaten a man if it had been anyone but Harper who had been shot?

Ree buried her face in her hands. She shouldn't have gotten another Harper—it was only making her emotional and attached to her. She wasn't brand new like the rest of her team. She was a ghost, and it was hurting them both. It helped that she had evolved, yes, but she was tired of feeling like that twelve-year-old scrubbing blood off her floor. That had been an accident. This had been an accident. Training was full of accidents. Hell, this journey had been an accident.

They sat in silence. Tori still sniffed occasionally, and Ree had resumed staring at Lala's fluff. It was a long night.

-.-.-

Harper would live. She wouldn't fly for several weeks and no battling for even longer, in addition to physical therapy to make sure her shoulder healed properly, but Ree didn't care. She would _live_. Her pokémon were all alive, and they would heal. Nothing permanent or traumatic, except maybe to the trainer and hunter involved.

Ree felt like she had a hangover the next day. She had stayed up far too late, and it had involved far too much crying. She wasn't a crier by nature, and she was pretty sure in hindsight that her hormones _had_ to have made her even more emotional. Tori was unusually subdued as well, and gave Corina and Cole a bath as an excuse to let Ree flop about their room as she pleased.

Lala was still asleep, flush against the wall, breathing through her mouth. She had a little whistling noise going on, too, much to Mitzi's clear annoyance. But the minccino was behaving herself, curled up and using Whippy's tail as a blanket. He and Harper were both asleep, too. It wasn't often Ree was the first one up in her team.

"Min?" Mitzi whispered, poking out from beneath Whippy's tail. She gingerly slithered out from his grasp and retrieved her pokeball from the nightstand. Ree had to wonder how she knew which was hers—wait, when had _Ree_ even been able to tell them apart. As Mitzi placed her pokeball where she had just been laying and Whippy curled about it with a little hiss, Ree peered over the the edge of the bed at the nightstand. Three pokeballs lay before her. They all had little scrapes and scratches, but nothing major. But she knew that one nearest her was Whippy's. The one beside it, button-down, was Lala's, and—oh, Harper's still had a smear of blood on it.

Ree swallowed down the bile and reached over for it. She spit on it and wiped it on the sheets until it was just normal red again.

Looking down at Harper's, she could see that the scratches along the sphere were a little different. But she usually kept them in the same order, so perhaps that was it? Or maybe she was developing awesome trainer instincts. That'd be about the only blessing she had gotten so far on her stupid journey.

Mitzi nestled into her chest, startling her. She smiled brightly and pressed her cold nose into the skin just above her tank top. "Min?"

"Can't sleep either?"

She waved her tail at the clock on the wall. Quarter past nine.

"Early riser?" Ree guessed in a whisper. Mitzi beamed again. "Yuck."

"No."

"No," Ree repeated. Mitzi looked up at her, head tilted, one ear crooked. "I don't know how your language thing works, but that sounds like no to me. And I think it doesn't mean the same thing to you, huh? Nice and confusing, great."

"Mincci." She sounded apologetic, at least. Ree had a slight grasp on Harper's random tweets and whistles and Whippy's expressions were easy enough to read, but Mitzi wasn't quite as expressive. At least, not incidentally. She seemed to be trying to be understood, which the others only did on command, but was hard to understand otherwise.

"It's okay, sweetie. I'm just bad at this. Bear with me."

She couldn't fall back asleep, but laid there with her pokémon until they started to wake up. Whippy was up next, searching out Mitzi, and Lala was woken up when Tori came out of the bathroom with damp, but clean, pokémon. The blonde trainer mumbled out some form of good morning and started rummaging around on the top bunk, returning her pair, and then headed back into the bathroom to change.

Ree wasn't sure if she should apologize to Tori or not. She wasn't exactly good with societal expectations, and she hadn't done anything wrong to Tori, really. Scared her, that much was clear, but she hadn't hurt her. Ree just wasn't much for apologies. She rarely expected serious ones, and she didn't like making them, either.

But they were useful enough for smoothing ruffled feathers, and she felt bad. Careful not to disturb Harper, Ree set Mitzi down on Whippy's back and tiptoed to the bathroom. She knocked and Tori opened at once, hair down but otherwise presentable. "Yes?" Oh. Clipped tone—yes, Ree should probably apologize.

"How are you doing today?" Wait, that wasn't an apology. Tori looked away and Ree wished she could bang her head against the wall without seeming weird.

"Better. I'm glad everyone's been patched up and there's no more questions to be answered," she replied coolly.

"Look, Tori, I'm sorry, okay? Yesterday was just... I'm sorry you lost me there for a bit. I'm just not good with things like anger and violence—I'm used to letting them out, healthy or not. It was just a lot to happen in one day and—"

"Ree, it's fine," Tori said with a weak smile. "I was just a little scared for you. I'm sorry, too. I must've sounded so pushy."

"Well, I need pushy." She paused, thinking what could've happened. "I'm glad you were there. I am. In hindsight, while I still want to bash his face in, I'm sorta glad I didn't. I couldn't exactly have gotten the rest of my badges in prison."

"They don't let you have pokémon in prison," Tori added. Ree nodded, and they fell into silence. Mostly awkward, but at least awkward in the way that neither of them knew what to say next, not emotionally awkward.

At least, Ree thought so.

Prison and everything that had happened the day before set her to thinking, however. She wasn't hungry—feeling ill again, in fact—but now that everyone was up, she felt like some issues had to be addressed. Ree crouched down next to the bottom bunk and gingerly moved Harper to in front of the rest of the crew. "Guys, Harper and Lala are hurt. Lala will be up to battling par in a couple weeks, but Harper—look at her wing, see? That means Whippy and Mitzi, you'll be pulling double duty for awhile. Since we're in a city, there shouldn't be wild pokémon bothering us, but we'll be out of Nimbasa soon enough."

"Ser!" Whippy exclaimed, jumping up to his full height—and hit his head on the top bunk. Hissing, he curled down and clutched his head. "...Servine," he added in a mumble.

Ree couldn't help but grin. "No more injuries. Mitzi is the only one who doesn't get attacked viciously in Elesa's gym, and if she has a blitzle you can handle that for her, but this is gonna be tough. Even if we're ahead of schedule, we can't afford to wait for Lala to heal up to help. And she couldn't be a huge help against those damned emolga, anyway."

Lala looked affronted, and Tori reminded, "Language."

"You can go to breakfast if you want," Ree replied, a little annoyed.

"You're not coming?"

"I'm not hungry. And I'm gonna be talking to these guys for a bit." She pulled out her phone and set it on the bed after hitting the power button. "Gonna teach them how to do things like call others in case of emergencies."

Tori frowned and sat down on the room's couch, conspicuously still waiting for her. Ree wasn't sure whether tell her that she'd be skipping breakfast.

"Anyway, yesterday was crazy, and in case something bad happens again and for whatever reason I'm not available—" Ree began guiltily—_like maybe I'll be crying in a puddle of blood or something_, she thought—but she was interrupted by the blaring of her cell phone. She yelped and fumbled it. The phone fell, still rocking out to a video game fight theme, resetting the song with every new alert. "Shit!"

"Language!" Tori repeated and Ree thought about telling her where she could shove her language. "Jeez, Ree, how'd you get so many messages?"

Ree fished her phone out from under the bed and flipped it open, cringing. "I don't turn it on when we're out on routes if I can help it. The signal's weak enough in most cases, and it drains the battery like no other. Haha, oh wow. Twenty-two text messages." With all of the trouble of the day before, she hadn't remembered to turn it back on.

"Somebody must love you."

"Oh—_oh_!" She realized most of them had a sent time of about midnight, and then hit her head against the bar of the bunk bed. No wonder she had so many messages. A couple missed calls from earlier that morning, too. Ree laughed helplessly, setting her phone down while it finished getting texts and missed call alerts. Twenty-four texts and four missed calls in total. The texts were mostly from friends back home, though her family and Scott had sent several as well. Two calls from her parents, one from Scott, and one from Carly.

"What is it?" Tori asked, confused by the random laughter.

"I'm eighteen today," Ree finally got out. She had always thought her eighteenth birthday would be bigger, more special. Crazier. Legal drinking, legal gambling, partying until they saw the sunrise. Video games and presents and epic birthday sex.

Not knocked up, rolling on the floor with laughter, and with four pokémon. Two of them injured. Three badges. No booze for the next however many months. No sex for just as long. It suddenly wasn't so funny, but she couldn't stop laughing at the craziness that had become her life.

"Oh my gosh! You're only eighteen? I mean—happy birthday!" Tori exclaimed, mostly surprised by the admission.

"W-Wait," Ree gasped out, "what do you mean _only_?"

The blonde girl ducked her head and smiled awkwardly, twiddling her fingers. "Well, you're just really tall. You just act really... mature?"

"Do I look older than that?"

"No, no! I promise! You just _act_ it."

Ree eyed her distrustfully. _Only_ eighteen. She had been waiting for this for too long for that to be anything but faintly annoying, but the real annoyance was the fact that she wouldn't be able to celebrate how she wanted. "...Well, yeah, whatever. How old are _you_, then?"

"Sixteen," Tori said. Two years younger and on the same route for the gym badges. Ree suppressed a sad sigh. She knew there were younger ones than that, too, but she tried to ignore them or beat them into the ground.

"Eighteen and three badges," she murmured. Four pokémon, and eighteen. It'd take some getting used to—both things. But she liked to think she was adjusting to training life well enough, all things considered. "Fine, whatever! What-the-fuck-ever. And I can swear today because birthday!" she said as Tori opened her mouth, brow drawn. The blonde relented with a frown. "Today, you guys are learning how to use my phone for emergencies."

"Ser?"

Ree fiddled with her phone, renaming two of her phone contacts as their last names. There. Now her best bet as an emergency contact, Allen Pershing, was at the top of her list. "Okay, see? This is the default screen. This is what it will be on, or if it isn't, just hit this until it is," Ree explained, pointing to the red 'end' button. Whippy and Mitzi nodded. Lala pretended to snore.

"Why are you doing this again? I mean, breakfast is only served for awhile, and we could get you something special..." Tori tried, a little hesitantly.

"Not hungry," Ree repeated without looking up at her. "Gonna play teacher. You can go eat, it's _fine_."

"I'll wait."

She tried not to roll her eyes. She wasn't sure if she was clingy or worried, but they were both pretty useless when Ree knew exactly what she was feeling ill with and wasn't going to have breakfast. "From this home screen—remember, the picture of me and Scottie, that's where you start—you tap this button right here on the upper left. Right. Here." Ree pressed it and showed them. Then exited out, and pressed it again to show them. And again. She passed it to Whippy, and after staring at it for a long while, Mitzi whispered something in his ear and he tapped the upper left button.

It would do. This was only supposed to be in events of emergencies, anyway, and Mitzi and Whippy usually stuck together when they could... It was a better back-up than nothing.

"This brings up the contacts. Right here. At the top. Very top, so don't go pressing anything except the _green button_. Green. Like you, mister. This name, and then the green button." She had put Allen up at the top because it would call him, and she figured he'd be smart enough to come running when he heard nothing but squealing pokémon on the other line. Plus, he was the only one who would know where she was at all times, and the only one to come get her anywhere in Unova if she got into some _real _trouble.

It was a precaution, and kind of a stupid one, but it gave her some peace of mind. She handed him the phone again and he pressed the green button without Mitzi telling him to. Ree took it away before the call could complete, and then handed it to Mitzi, to be sure. She repeated the gesture with a beam. Ree cut the call again, and then handed it to Lala.

"Scott," she replied and put her nose up in the air.

"Lala, come on. Just once. Show me that you know how."

"Scott," she repeated stubbornly.

"See? Look, even Harper can do it." So very carefully, she laid the cell phone on the bed and pushed it closer to the injured tranquill. From the home page, Harper flawlessly pecked the contacts button, and then the send. Three out of four wasn't too bad, and Lala usually wasn't too stupid. She'd rather continue on with some prepping than wasting her time trying to get her whimsicott to listen to her, anyway.

Except then, a shirtless blond man and an elgyem teleported into their room.

Tori and Ree screamed; Ree flopped halfway onto the bed in a knee-jerk escape attempt. Harper shrieked as well and flapped her one good wing, managing to fall over as well, and Whippy was in front of all of the team, hissing and defending loyally.

"What the _hell_ are you calling me so early for?" Allen demanded, rubbing at his eyes. He blinked a couple times, and then looked over her. "You're not dying or lost." Looking around, he added, "You're in a pokémon center, in fact."

"I-I knew that," Ree replied. She hadn't expected him to actually _show up_! Tori, on his other side and hiding behind the chair she'd vacated, looked like she was about to attack or flee.

"Why did you call me?" He calmed down, and sounded infinitely more patient than he had just moments ago. His elgyem gave Ree a glare, though, still clinging to his pant leg. It seemed like he was still in his pajamas, actually. And slept shirtless—not that Ree was complaining.

He seemed to catch her looking and crossed his arms over his chest, looking a little judgmental. "I was just teaching my pokémon how to call you in an emergency," she told him honestly. "I meant to cut the calls."

"Yeah, you did. So it'd ring once, _wake me up_, and then go silent. And again. And again."

"Sorry."

Allen groaned and tried to keep looking angry. He was failing, and quite miserably at that. "God, you gave me a heart attack. I mean, it's a great idea, what you're doing, but... Don't _scare_ me like that. I thought you had already gotten into trouble."

"Ree, wh-who is this?" Tori broke in, at last. It was a wonder she kept silent that long. Allen jumped and whirled around, noticing her for the first time—and then, blushed and picked up his psychic as a shield.

"Oh my god, I am _so_ sorry! I hadn't thought—I mean, hello!"

"Hi," she replied, a little dumbly.

"Tori, this is Allen. Allen, this is Tori. We've been together for like, a week about." He turned and gave her a look saying she should have warned him, but oh well. He and Lenore had told her to get a companion, after all.

"I'm the UFO assigned to her for the moment," he elaborated, still awkward.

She made a face. "Why do you have one of _those_ following you around?"

"Oh, well—" Ree threw Whippy at him to cut him off. He was close and he was the heaviest, and he certainly interrupted him. Allen managed to tear off the servine and his elgyem kept him floating there, twisting and flailing in a psychic hold. He gave her another, sharper glare. But he seemed to catch on: _yes_, this was a secret. "...That's classified, miss. I'm sorry."

"Oh." Another face from Tori. There would be explanations later, but ugh, Ree had been hoping to avoid those altogether. "Okay."

"Uh, if that's everything, and you're not half-dead in a ditch somewhere... I'm going back to bed."

"It's ten. Even _I'm_ up." Trainers got up notoriously early, Ree had noticed. And she had become one of them, to her sorrow. There was only so much daylight, after all, and breakfast in pokémon centers usually didn't last past ten or eleven.

"I had a late night, okay. Contrary to my prior belief, I still have to do _some_ work while babysitting you," he lamented. "So I got to help raid an illegal alien breeding operation. Do you know how _hard_ breloom kick?"

"Ouch. Sorry. Go back to sleep, and I won't practice any more emergency calling, promise." Allen nodded wearily and with an uncomfortable wave for Ree and Tori, they vanished. Ree was suddenly looking everywhere but at her traveling companion. Tori's stare, however, was enough to drill holes into the side of her head. "So, uh..."

"Who was he?"

"Allen."

"A UFO, yes, I saw that." She wondered why Tori sounded so critical of the term. "Why do you have one assigned personally to you?"

"In case of emergencies. Which is why I'm teaching my pokémon to call him," Ree said and picked up Whippy as he slithered back, using him like her own scaly shield. "See? Now I get a white knight to come rescue me if I ever do something stupid or get hurt or get really lost."

"Trainers don't usually qualify for that sort of consideration," Tori pressed. She didn't quite sound suspicious, but she was getting close.

"Servine!" Whippy exclaimed and Ree shoved him down into her lap.

"I get special consideration."

"Why, Ree? Do you... Are you in trouble?" _Oh—_that was why Tori was so curious. Ree heaved a sigh in sheer relief. No wonder she looked pretty suspect; anger issues, assaulting a guy, then having a random guy appear in their room...

She shook her head. "No, no. I'm fine. It's for health reasons." And with that, it was Tori's turn to look immensely relieved. They shared a small, awkward chuckle.

Ree hoped that was all the excitement for the day out of the way. She agreed to go with Tori to breakfast, if only to feed her team and get her off her back. Whippy ingested his weight in everything sugary, Ree mashed up peanut butter and birdseed for Harper, Lala fought with Corina for some sort of small leaves, and Tori seemed happy at the chaos they spread together. Lala had another dose of painkillers and got a little drowsy again, which was just as well, since she and Harper were returned. She wasn't going to risk any accidents while they were training.

Mitzi, understanding the pressure on her for the next gym, pulled double time for training. She even took some battles from Whippy. Tori pushed her cubchoo, too, and he mostly practiced with his ice moves. They were both doing wonderfully, and they had a picnic of sandwiches and fresh vegetables Duvamalkin dug up in the area nearby. The excadrill showed them off and even pointed out some things about them to Whippy. Ree secretly hoped her servine would eventually be able to bring back more than dead pokémon for food.

The day passed blessedly uneventfully. Their pokémon worked hard, they got to battle some trainers as well as many wild pokémon, and there were no hunters in sight or sound. Ree answered most of her birthday texts and enjoyed the minor attention, even if she felt guilty for ignoring the texts from her family and boyfriend. She just didn't know what to say, though. Tori treated her to a nice dinner, even.

The day after Ree's birthday, Tori announced that she was going to challenge Elesa again.

"What? Already? I mean... We're not in a hurry." Well, Ree was, but she was enjoying staying in a city without Maya or Scott to worry about. (Yet, a small, logical voice reminded her. She ignored the small, logical part of herself.)

"Well, Cole's trained up well, and I only need him for the emolga. I want to at least _try_, Ree. We've gotten so much stronger already! And—And, we know what's up with the gym now. We're better prepared."

"Alright..." And so, for the second time, the two girls stormed the neon-lit gym. Ree used Mitzi in the first double battle, and to her delight, her minccino handled the emolga with relative ease. Tori took on the second gym trainer by herself, and Ree offered to take on the third for her.

Tori took down the last trainer on her own. They were home free. Mitzi will still standing, albeit a little tired and with a hurt leg, and she fed Cole a couple potions before they headed back onto the roller coaster. Ree had only thrown up once, too. Her stomach wasn't so bad, thankfully, but she did heave over the edge once more just as they arrived on Elesa's platform.

"Attractive," the gym leader deadpanned.

"This fucking gym," Ree shot back and wiped her chin. Tori didn't even comment on the curse.

"I can only battle one at a time, and there is a required half hour break between all gym battles," Elesa said airily, flipping one of her hair's _things_ over her shoulder. Ree wasn't quite sure what they were. Hell, she hardly understood most of high fashion.

"I'm the only one challenging you today," Tori said confidently, and stepped forward, out of the cart. She almost hid the way her legs were shaking.

"Moral support," the brunette added with a burp. She stayed in the cart for a little longer, waiting for the large room to stop spinning.

"Fine by me," Elesa said with a glittering smile. She released an emolga without further ado, and Ree grimaced. She had somehow hoped that, by some stroke of intensely good luck, the gym leader had nothing but blitzle and she could use both Whippy and Mitzi for all of her rounds.

Tori released Cole, and Elesa's smile dimmed. Ree wondered, truthfully, how used the gym leaders were to having their weaknesses exploited. Especially Elesa, since she was arguably the most famous, thanks to her career. "Icy wind!" The emolga tried to run out of the way, gliding with a couple leaps, but Cole followed it with a breath of frost (interrupted by the occasional sneeze, which produced sharp icicles).

It wasn't long before he caught it and he won the first round. And the second; the poor emolga wasn't as fast as its counterpart had been. Elesa didn't seem too put out, whereas Tori was dancing with joy. Ree wasn't glad about having to fight her way through two of the damned flying rodents. Sure, Cole was powering his way through them, but she didn't have an ice type... Or any advantage.

Elesa's last pokémon was a larger, darker version of Jackster. A zebstrika, and Tori wasn't at all intimidated. "Duva, _finally_, your turn!" she squealed, positively _elated_, and the gym leader's smirk fell as the excadrill came out. Tori was all too happy to be using her obnoxiously strong pokémon with the type advantage to beat on the last pokémon of this gym leader.

Ree decided to like Tori a little bit more. After all, girls with a penchant for overkill were okay in her book.

Surprisingly, the round wasn't over with as quickly as she had imagined. "Duva, earthquake!"

"Wait we are _indoors—_"

"_Jump_!"

Ree was thrown abruptly to the other side of the cart, hitting her face on the metal door. The entire building was shaking and there were panicked screams from other areas of the room as it gradually calmed down. Rubbing her bruised nose, Ree looked up and found the zebstrika still standing.

"You... That's not fair!" Tori spluttered.

Elesa put a hand on her hip, defiant. "You're telling me I can't tell my pokémon to _jump_? It's hardly an illegal move."

"It's dodging the attack!"

"That's the point. Make a longer earthquake if you don't want him to keep avoiding it." She didn't sound happy about all of the ground moves, but Ree had to admit she had a point. She'd done stupider things in battles, anyway.

Tori growled—actually _growled_. It occurred to Ree that this was the first time she was really seeing Tori in a serious battle, and the first time she was seeing her with more than a passing frustration. "Duva, earthquake!" She fell back against the cart and the zebstrika leapt into the air again, jumping over to the other side of the platform. It landed just before the shaking ended, but it wasn't enough to do much damage.

Elesa got back to her feet and dusted off her fur coat. "You're free to try other moves."

"Earthquake!" The gym leader was thrown back onto her butt and Ree was nearly heaved from the cart. This time, the zebstrika stumbled as it landed—and to Ree's eternal relief, Tori wasn't just going to spam earthquake. With that falter, Duvamalkin ran at it and hit it broadside, sending them both off the platform.

Ree leaned over and threw up. Too much shaking. Far below, Duva landed on the zebstrika, and it didn't get up again. Elesa let out a yell of outrage, and as Ree sat back up, she could see that even Tori was a little shaken at the fact that both of their pokémon had gone over the edge.

Elesa, after calming down (but still frighteningly curt with the both of them), showed them a ladder down to the lower levels. They then stayed on the bottom level, trekking across the room to the proper stairs near the opening. Both pokémon were fine; the zebstrika was unconscious, though, and looked to have a broken leg.

It was interesting that it took until they were mounting the stairs for Tori to apologize. "Oh gosh... I am _so _sorry about that!"

"Accidents happen," Elesa replied and shrugged carelessly. "I certainly wasn't expecting it, though."

"Still... Usually, Duva's a lot better about battling in smaller spaces."

"Except for trying to bring the building down around us," Ree mumbled under her breath.

"You think an electric-based gym isn't prepared for large-scale ground moves?" Elesa asked archly. "You, you're still going to challenge me, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"I can't wait to see what you come up with," she said with sharp smirk.

Tori earned her badge and they left Elesa at the gym, traipsing back to the center on their own. Tori alternated between worried about the display and giddy at another badge. The only thing Ree could think was that it was surprising it took so long for her to revert back to stiff and proper. She hadn't really batted an eye at Duva sending them over the edge of the platform.

_She's desensitized to violence_, Ree thought aimlessly while she waited for her companion to heal her team. She wasn't one to judge, not with her track record, and she supposed that most trainers would get used to violence, being what they were and what they did.

"It looks like spaghetti is on the menu for tonight in the dining area," Tori said brightly, evidently back to her cheerful mood.

"Oh my _god_ are you serious? I have been craving that all day." Ree raced her for the mess hall and only after the first half a plate did she release her pokémon to eat, too. Not because she forgot, not totally, but because she wanted to stand a chance at filling her stomach before someone inevitably got them kicked out.

Ree finished two plates of spaghetti and helped feed Harper a rather gross mix of crushed-up birdseed and milk. Harper didn't seem too happy with the meal, either, but it was easy to mix her medicine in and she ate it without complaint. Tori's cubchoo went through two plates of spaghetti himself, having worked up an appetite, and Duvamalkin appeared to be outlining his battle for Riddick, complete with absurd gestures.

And then Whippy tried to take a bath in the chocolate pudding, and they were kicked out.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: That could've ended worse. Ree is officially lagging behind Tori now, and is determined to catch up without wasting too much more time. Of course, they've been in Nimbasa for some time now, and with a determined Scott catching up... But what's this? Why, it's plot!


	18. Of Listening To Authority

Maya came home for a Halloween, and Ree was beside herself. She and her sister worked on costumes for a party they'd gotten invited to (well, Ree had gotten invited, and dragged Maya along). They spent nearly a week ordering parts, dyeing fabric, and even making a wand. The Majors sisters were nothing if not stubborn in the face of a challenge; there was a costume contest with cash as a prize.

"Wow, Ree. I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Maya remarked, looking at the completed project for the first time in the mirror.

"It's what big sisters are for," Ree replied flippantly. She adjusted Maya's headband, centering it for her.

"But what are _you_ going to be? You haven't worked on anything all week, and I haven't seen anything prior."

"I'll just throw something on out of my closet."

"What? Ree! I thought you were going to be awesome _with_ me!" Maya admonished, smacking her on the arm.

"Only one of us can win that prize money, and I'm too tall for cutesy outfits. Relax, Maya, I got this."

So Maya arrived at the party in a celebi princess outfit, looking just like a little forest fairy, and had half a dozen boys attach themselves to her. Ree showed up, true enough, in things from her closet. "R-Ree, oh gosh, there's so many people here." She was only saying that because of all of the cute guys. Maybe, just maybe, if Maya scored a guy she'd stay home a little longer.

"Just smile! Act cute, not that it's too damn hard for _you_. Go drink some shit and just don't let anyone slip anything into your drink, and lay drunkenly over the hottest guy in here. I'll drag you home later, don't worry." Ree patted her on the back and Maya gave her a pathetic, sad purrloin look. "Oh, for fuck's sake—choose one. I know a ton of people in here, so I can introduce you or find someone to introduce you."

She looked around, trying her best to appear reserved and hesitant about this, but Ree knew how much Maya secretly liked male attention. "Um... God, Ree, I don't know about this, sorry. It's just kinda—"

"Pick. One."

"Uh. The... tall blond one?" Ree recognized the boy as someone in her grade, way back when, and eagerly dragged her sister over, despite her protesting and whining and hitting her with her magic wand.

He was dressed in a bomber jacket and aviators, but nothing fancy. He turned to regard the two girls, clearly skeptical, though his eyes were hidden from them. "What are you supposed to be?"

"Felton, right?" Ree asked, ignoring him.

"Uh, yeah."

"This is my sister, Maya. She's into you." Maya turned scarlet and smacked her again, harder.

"But what _are_ you," the boy replied, nonplussed.

"She's a celebi princess. Look, short skirt." Ree hadn't thought it possible for her sister to blush harder—or hit her harder. She scowled and rubbed her arm. That one would bruise.

"You." He poked Ree in the other arm, making her jump, and then gestured up and down at her costume.

"Are you kidding me? I'm a girl with a short skirt and a _looooong_ jacket," Ree said, pleased with herself. Maya hit her palm against her forehead. The boy lowered his sunglasses to give her an equally unimpressed look—but then ruined it with a laugh.

-.-.-

**Chapter Eighteen**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Listening To Authority

-.-.-

Ree stood in front of Elesa, confident and just _knowing_ she was going to win this battle. Harper circled overhead, whistling her support, and the rest of her team stood proudly in front of her. Elesa opened her mouth, and Ree had a concept of her saying something, despite the fact that no sound came out.

Whippy, a grand serperior, slithered forward and reared up, snout in the air haughtily. Such small pokémon were beneath him, surely, but he would battle for his trainer, because he was nothing if not loyal. Somehow, the two emolga went down with a flick of his tail. The zebstrika, the last pokémon, came out. Ree shouted out some command and Lala twirled into the arena.

Two hands wrapped around her midsection and pulled her back against a male chest. She looked up, that in itself a rare enough feat due to her height, and found a dark hood and UFO goggles and sandy brown stubble. "I'll save you," Allen's voice told her, and then she fell backward as he vanished.

Ree fell off of the platform, and Scott was above her, leaning over the edge, trying to catch her. She didn't even try to reach back up for him.

She awoke in a cold sweat and had Whippy's tail lying across her throat. _No wonder it hurts to breathe_, she thought and gingerly moved him. He stirred, kicking in his sleep, but nestled around Mitzi and calmed back down. They were too cute together, almost sickeningly so. She had pegged Whippy as a lady's man (or pokémon—she wasn't sure), and it didn't really stop him from flirting up a storm with other female pokémon, but he always came back to Mitzi.

It reminded her, too strongly, that she was avoiding Scott.

She fell back asleep, guilty and in tears.

-.-.-

Ree stood in front of Elesa. She wasn't confident, she wasn't sure she was going to win, and she felt sick. But just to be sure, she pinched herself. It hurt and she didn't wake up, nor did she see any rogue field operatives or her boyfriend. It was all real, and she was okay.

"You sure you're okay? You didn't sleep well last night," Tori whispered, on her tiptoes to reach Ree's ear.

"I can do this," she replied and stepped forward. Elesa inclined her head towards them both in greeting. "Elesa, I've fought my way through this damned gym for the third time now. I'm going to stomp you into the ground, if only so I _never _have to go on that _fucking_ roller coaster ever again."

"I have noticed you've had some problems with it," she replied dispassionately. "Are you ready for this battle?"

"I sure hope so... I mean, yes!" she called and let out Mitzi. Elesa smiled and released one of her emolga. "Okay, Mitzi, like we've practiced."

The emolga chattered something and smiled, and Mitzi replied with an enthusiastic, "Min!" Ree didn't exactly want her pokémon becoming buddy-buddy with Elesa's, but then Mitzi struck a pose, and she was relieved. She put her tail up against her snout, batting her eyes, and then hid shyly behind her tail.

The emolga blinked, leaning forward a little bit. Mitzi giggled and lowered her tail enough for a wink and a blown kiss. This move couldn't be used in front of Whippy, but she was on her own out there, so Ree and her had both agreed that it was fair.

The emolga fell for the attract and ran forward, tripping over itself in an effort to hug her. Mitzi tittered again, playing coy, and then began humming. Elesa's face was slowly becoming something comical, especially as the minccino started singing, and the emolga fell asleep in her arms with a happy, dreamy sigh.

Mitzi had completely incapacitated one of her pokémon without taking or dealing any damage. Ree tried not to cackle.

"Wake up!" The emolga stirred but didn't wake. Elesa huffed in frustration. "Wake _up_!"

"This is actually pretty cute," Tori remarked.

"Let's just not tell Whippy she's been flirting to win her battles," Ree responded, wincing a bit. Attract was still a fairly new move, but he got a little—okay, a _lot—_jealous whenever she used it. "Okay, Elesa, you can return it and we can move on with this show, or Mitzi can beat your emolga into the ground with her tiny, furry little fists."

"When I said I expected something out of you..." She sighed and returned her emolga, forfeiting that round. It worked in Ree's favor, since it meant Mitzi was still fresh. Judging by Elesa's smirk, though, she and Ree both knew the second round was going to be different; this emolga was a female.

Without a word from her trainer, the emolga ran forward with a squeal, sparking. "Sing, Mitzi!" Ree shrieked, and Mitzi started her song, albeit with an alarmed squeak on the first note. The emolga wobbled, but didn't fall, and she hit Mitzi with a burst of static.

The two tussled, growling and squeaking at each other, and Mitzi finally got some distance by smacking her opponent away with her tail. She tried singing again, but the emolga jumped off of the platform and circled around, gaining altitude with awkward little flaps. She tried beckoning her closer, using her charm, but that didn't have much effect, either.

Time to start the offensive, then. "Mitzi, start spamming sw—" Ree clamped a hand over her mouth as her stomach suddenly revolted. That wasn't motion sickness, that was morning sickness. She made it to the end of the platform and threw up over it, the nausea not leaving, and heard Mitzi squealing in concern behind her. Of all the times...

Ree heaved again, and pinkan pancakes didn't taste as good the second time around. She hadn't had it this bad for awhile, and the timing was terrible. She heard Mitzi and the emolga fighting again, and Tori saying something, worry in her tone. Looking over the edge wasn't doing anything for her, either; her heart was thundering in her ears and the ground was swaying, too far below.

Her stomach didn't settle so much as empty and give up. It felt worse. She got away from the edge, height anxiety forcing her away, and Ree found the emolga zapping Mitzi relentlessly. Her minccino was also much closer to Ree than she had been last. No doubt she had run over to check on her trainer. Mitzi fell after another electrical shock, and Ree reluctantly returned her.

"You couldn't have waited for me?" she grumbled, pulling out Whippy's pokeball.

"You've thrown up often enough in this gym, I thought your pokémon would be used to it," Elesa replied without an ounce of remorse. Ree stuck her tongue out at her. "You're saying you wouldn't take advantage of a lapse in your opponent's concentration?"

She made a note to start vomiting on every platform she could. Maybe in the cart, too, as she got off and if she could. "Bitch."

"Ree, stop talking back to a gym leader," Tori hissed.

"You're only saying that because you've already won!" Mood soured and strategy shot, she finally let out Whippy. He slithered back and forth, scanning the area, tongue flicking. He looked at the emolga opposite him, and then back up at Ree, accusing. "Don't look at me that way! That's the thing that took out Mitzi, so go eat it or something."

"Vine!" He hissed, open-mouthed like a feline, at the emolga. She shied back, cowering. Ree idly wondered if servine could legitimately eat things the size of emolga easily.

"Aerial ace!" Elesa commanded, but Whippy was faster. He threw himself at the emolga and they went skidding. She slashed at him with her claws, drawing blood, and he scratched right back. The electric pokémon couldn't get into the air, though, which Ree realized meant that it couldn't use its flying move against her grass pokémon. Whippy _could_ fight them!

But then, she shocked him badly enough for him to let go, having gone rigid. She ran away from him, tail shaking in fright. She jumped off the platform for the flight she needed just as Whippy staggered back to his feet, rubbing his face. "No, Whippy—dodge it!" There was still a zebstrika to get through, and she did _not_ want to go through this again.

His scarlet eyes narrowed and he stood there as the emolga circled up, gaining altitude, preparing to strike. She swooped down—and he grabbed her with his vines. It was hard to tell who was more astonished, the trainers or the pokémon. The emolga struggled, and eventually shocked him, but he responded by throwing her into the ground without letting go. It quickly became a contest to see who would faint first. The emolga kept shocking him, and he kept beating her face into the platform.

Whippy won.

His vine tips were charred and he inspected them with a grimace. Elesa returned her second emolga. "Well, you're full of surprising pokémon, I must say." She put one hand on her hip and withdrew her last pokeball with her other. Ree shifted, hardly hiding her excitement; one last pokémon! Mitzi was out, but Whippy was still in decent condition. And electricity wouldn't hurt him so much!

The last, the zebstrika, came out. It snorted and pranced, tossing its head as it surveyed the arena. Whippy drew himself up to his full height with a smug hiss. The zebstrika was still far larger, but after evolving, he wasn't a tiny pokémon anymore, either.

"Alright, Whippy, let's just do this right. Do your thing!" She didn't exactly have a solid strategy, but it wouldn't do anything in their favor to pretend like she did. She doubted Whippy would listen, anyway; may as well save face by presumably giving up control.

"Flame charge," Elesa said simply.

"What." Ree and Whippy both started, shocked and appalled, wearing matching expressions. "No—no no no—" The zebstrika struck the floor, hooves creating sparks, and flames sprang up around its flanks. It charged at Whippy, who was momentarily too horrified at the fiery monster running at him to dodge. He ducked at the last moment, but it still caught his legs and tail, flipping him over in the air.

He was running as soon as he landed, scales blackened all along one side, limping badly. The zebstrika pranced again, hooves sparking, and ignited itself once more without further command. Ree was screaming wordlessly, running alongside the arena and hoping it would trip or something or that Whippy would suddenly grow wings.

And it was _faster_ now, too, to add insult to injury. It caught up with him, leaping into the air, intending to come down with flaming hooves and all the weight it could—and Whippy darted out of the way at the last moment, again. His tail was a little charred now, too, and he held himself up on his vines like some sort of bizarre second limbs. He shook, though from exertion of holding himself up or actual fear, Ree couldn't tell. The zebstrika didn't even fully extinguish itself before kicking up more flames up its legs.

"_Return_!" Ree shrieked. He vanished in a beam of red light just as the zebstrika galloped through where his head had been. She nearly dropped his pokeball, palms sweaty, and looked at Elesa like she was something out of a horror movie. "That's... That's not fucking _fair_!"

"You can't teach a pokémon a move that it cannot learn. I assure you, it's completely natural for blitzle and zebstrika to—"

"_No_! You—You have those damned emolga and they _fly_, and now your fucking electric, goddamned electricity, that _thing_ can learn fire moves? It's not f-fair." Ree sunk to her knees, badly shaken by how that last round had turned out. Harper and Lala were still out of commission and now, even if Ree hypothetically _had_ the time (which she didn't) to wait around weeks for her whimsicott to recover, this meant that she would burn just as easily.

Flying and fire in an electric gym. She had _grass_ pokemon—she was supposed to have the advantage here! It wasn't enough to be a gym leader with strong pokémon, she had to go and warp type advantages as well? Ree felt Tori behind her, and she placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. Ree flinched as if burned as badly as Whippy had been.

"This is all perfectly legal and _natural_. I would never force my pokémon to do something that was unhealthy or dangerous for them," Elesa said thinly and her zebstrika trotted back over to her, looking absurdly pleased with itself, even if its legs and hooves were blackened with ash. She returned it, but kept her distance.

"No, it's not _fair_!" Ree maintained in a high, whining tone that she couldn't get rid of. "You're the _electric_ gym, and you're abusing your type—"

"I am doing no such thing!" the gym leader cut across her, harshly. She leveled a glare at the two trainers across from her, looking genuinely angry for the first time. "I am expected to sit in this room and let weak trainers approach me as a potential equal, knowing _full well_ what I will be armed with. I am tired of ground pokémon, of blatant abuse of type advantages against me, and I will be _damned_ if I will just roll over with a pachirisu or eelektrik because of an elemental restriction on my professional battles."

Tori seemed a little frightened by Elesa's outburst, but Ree got up to her feet, dusting off her pants. She wasn't going to back down so easily, not when she had lost so horribly. Her pride wouldn't allow it. "I have thrown up in this gym," she said, faking a calm, "and I have screamed myself hoarse on that shitty roller coaster. I have fought my way through here three times now and will be back to take on a fourth. I have just lost two battlers on my team and am expected to face you with just two against your three. And now you tell me that my starter, my strongest, _my_ pokémon, will not be able to survive in this gym."

"Ree, please, it's okay," Tori whispered urgently, tugging on her arm. "We can challenge her again!"

"No, it's _not_ okay!" she bit out. "I have to get these stupid fucking badges in seven months and I don't need some prissy model telling me she's going to use loopholes in champion-sanctioned gyms!"

"I am _not_ using loopholes!" Elesa said. "Just because I am in the lower half of the circuit does not mean I am going to take it easy on my challengers, that is all."

"Yeah, well—next time I challenge you, it's going to get nasty." Ree wasn't so much losing her anger as she was losing her ability to argue. It made her even madder. "I am going to beat you and your stupid flying fire pokémon into the ground. I'm going to _destroy_ you. Next time we meet, it'll be the last fucking time, you got me?"

"I'll eagerly await this," she replied dryly.

Mustering up the last of her dignity and pride, Ree turned on her heel and got back into the roller coaster car. Tori followed her, fretting, but had the sense to wait until it took them around back to the opening. Ree's stomach still churned, roiling with anger and indignation, but she swallowed it all back down. She didn't have anything else to throw up, even if it'd be highly entertaining to leave Elesa with one last gift.

Once outside, Tori rounded on her. Ree immediately tilted her head back and to the side, avoiding her pointed gaze. "Ree! That is no way to act in a gym."

"You didn't have to deal with that."

"But you seem to think I haven't ever lost a gym battle before?" she continued, unperturbed by Ree's attitude. "Come _on_, they're supposed to be difficult. You didn't have to chew her out for doing her job."

"That gym has been _designed_ to go up against my team!" she hissed, baring her teeth.

Tori was still unaffected. "Losing a battle is nothing you have to go and lose your temper for. Gyms are designed to be difficult, not specifically against you. For everyone. Everyone loses at gym battles, otherwise all sorts of little kids would be running around with gym badges like they weren't worth anything..."

Ree made a guilty face. There was a pause, a missed beat of conversation, and the blonde girl peered up at her with narrowed eyes. Another pause, expectant this time. Ree still didn't answer her.

"Ree... You _have_ lost a gym battle before, right?"

"Actually..."

"Are you kidding? You have _never_ lost a gym battle?" she screeched, crossing from shocked into appalled territory. She was suddenly yanking Ree into a side alley, avoiding the various passersby who looked up at her shrillness. "Ree, tell me now if you are some sort of elite trainer or superhuman monster, and I'll understand."

"No, no, it's not like that... But shit, that'd be cool." Tori was not amused. Ree relented with a heavy sigh. "We've had a couple close calls, okay? I squeaked by on my second and had a close run on my first, but third was pretty easy. I haven't lost that many battles ever, okay? I have, some, but it's just never been... bad. It's usually about now that I rage-quit if I were playing a video game..."

"Ree Majors, life is not a video game. _This_ is not a video game. You can't rage-quit or whatever just because it gets a little tough. And you absolutely _cannot_ throw a fit and threaten gym leaders! Don't you know what's going on in Sinnoh right now? They could put you away for that sort of stuff!" she scolded.

"I know that!" she snapped back. "But I don't like losing. I don't see how this is a fault."

"It's a fault if you take it with all the grace of a rampaging bouffalant! You don't win at life all the time. You'll lose sometimes. Yes, it seems unfair, but _please_, don't get so upset over it. It's okay to lose once in awhile." And Ree realized why Tori was, again, so upset with her. She'd let her temper get the better of her again, and considering how the last time that had happened ended... She still didn't reply, but Tori just looped their arms together and gently led her to the pokémon center for some recuperation and repairing of her hurt pride.

-.-.-

Hood pulled low over his eyes, Scott stared out at the sandstorm. It was still raging, far too dangerous to warrant trying to fight it. But he was on a time limit and his patience was wearing thin. He'd gotten lost twice already, and Vince and Nigel aside, his team didn't really appreciate the desert. They just weren't built for it.

That, and he had every darmanitan in the desert looking for him, it seemed.

They had made him hole up in the abandoned ruins in the western part of the desert. It was frustrating to know where he was and how close he was to getting out of the area, but with all of the fire pokémon prowling about, even in spite of the bad weather, it had him skittish and wary. After Nigel had managed to piss one off, they had gotten it in their brains that his darumaka should be inducted into their extended family. Or something. Vince was a little unclear on the details.

It had come down to a game of hide and seek several times, and it helped that he could keep Barbeque in his pokeball for long periods of time, but he needed to be trained and he was one of the pokémon on his team that didn't mind the sand all around them too much. Yorick complained that it got in his fur and Rocio would have nothing to do with the heat.

It was tempting to simply run out into the storm and head north, hoping he would last longer than his water supply. Even if the sandstorm was vicious and his goggles had already cracked twice. But Vince and Barbeque were not fast pokémon, and Nigel had too much fun tormenting the wild pokémon to make for fast travel. There had to be some other way around them...

Scott had been musing about his options in the ruins. Waiting would only lead to him getting desperate and even more frustrated. There were a couple other trainers in there, avoiding the weather, but they all gave each other their space. Scott certainly wasn't there to make friends.

At least, they weren't there to make friends at first. Once the field operatives teleported in and started interrogating, they banded together out of defensiveness pretty quickly. "Wait—what do you think you're doing?" one of the other trainers squealed as her sandile was lifted into the air with a psychic.

"You have no right to bust in here and start harassing us. Tell us what you're here for before you start—hey!" Scott snatched Barbeque back out of the air and struggled to keep him upright, glaring daggers at the men in uniform. He was no stranger to how they operated, but he hadn't expected any of this so suddenly.

"This area has been suspected of housing an illegal breeding operation. You are all in the area, so we must make sure you are not connected. _If_ you're innocent. If you are guilty—well, we can take care of that, too," one of the men snapped and released a haxorus. The trainer girl gave a scream and backed up, eyes wide. The other trainer watched cautiously, but didn't seem nearly as jumpy.

"Stop acting so mean to them, they're just kids," another UFO said and returned his elgyem.

"I've seen what _kids_ their age can do with pokémon. And we're fighting pokémon, not the kids," the first one snapped. The last of their group, a woman, stepped in between them and physically separated them.

Scott returned Barbeque and kept Vince close. He couldn't release anyone else without worsening the situation, but at least he had that much backup. "None of us are here due to any sort of breeding operation; we're just trying to get out of this weather. Let's all just calm down before someone says something stupid."

"License," the gruff man demanded and stuck out his hand.

Scott shrugged off his backpack and started digging around. Hesitantly, the other two trainers started getting their cards out as well. The girl's sandile was released and she kept her arms around it, seemingly just in case. "Here," he said and held out his card. He pointedly handed it to the other male UFO, not the meaner one.

A move that was not lost on the operatives. "Ah, yeah. Thanks," he said awkwardly, looking at the taller one. "...It says here you have five badges. What're you doing here?"

"I live south of Castelia. I'm headed north towards Nimbasa. This is on the way, last time I checked," Scott replied.

"You two, cards," the female operative said and took the boy trainer's card. She looked it over and flipped it over with a frown. "Okay, seems good. Yours?" She checked over the other's with another thoughtful frown.

"They check out, more or less. So calm down already." Scott was handed back his trainer ID and he shoved it into his pocket with a scowl.

"I've seen faked cards before. This doesn't prove anything but the fact that none of them are stupid," the first one retorted.

"Congrats, you're not stupid," the second one replied with a grin at the trainers before them. Scott was pretty sure the woman rolled her eyes beneath her goggles. "So, have any of you seen anything suspicious in these ruins lately? How long have you all been here?"

"Three days," Scott replied.

"Three days," the girl added with a nod.

"Five," the last trainer grumbled and crossed his arms. Such a lovely, helpful bunch to the nice people in uniforms. "And there's been nothing but wild pokémon and trainers."

"I'm sure the intel said here," the woman whispered, cupping her hand around her mouth. Scott caught it all the same.

"We'll do a sweep, anyway. You three, stay out here in this room. You are not to leave this area or go deeper in."

"Parker, just lay off already! They're not criminals, and if they are, you don't have to be an ass about it," the second man finally burst out.

"You two, calm down. We don't need you bickering like children, and _not_ in front of civilians," the female operative exclaimed and gave them both smacks for their trouble. "Pershing, you go on ahead and make sure nothing's going to get sprung on us. Parker, you are staying here to guard the entrance."

"Excuse me? _I_ am your commanding officer here—"

"Right, going off to check out. Leaving the area without any professionalism!" the second one called and headed towards the doorway deeper in, releasing a beartic as an afterthought.

The other two went off into a dim corner of the room and furiously hissed at each other for several minutes. The three trainers banded together after making sure they were allowed to move. It wasn't quite like planning a mutiny, but close. "What are they even here for? I mean—pokemon breeding is _kinda_ easy to notice. We would've seen something if there was anything going on here!" the girl grumbled, hugging her sandile to her chest.

"They're here to protect and serve, not chew our asses for being here out of the storm," Scott agreed. He sat down next to Vince, using him as a backrest. The other two, younger, took it as a sign to join him in a little circle. He didn't like being appointed some sort of impromptu leader, but he had a feeling it was going to happen. This sort of situation, sadly, was not uncommon.

"But you have to admit, this would be an easy place to hide such things. It never had to be a large-scale operation. It's out of the way, secluded, a roof over our heads, easy to heat," the third one mused, looking up at the stone over their heads.

"It's dry and safe and hidden, yes. But it still gets a fair amount of traffic. It would _have_ to be some person on their own," Scott sighed and put his chin in his hands. "I've personally been here more than once, and I've gone exploring, too. Nothing here but pokémon and the occasional wayward newbie."

"It's easy to get lost in here," the girl mumbled, annoyed. "Anyway, they just—I don't know, are they _allowed_ to just start separating trainer from pokémon like that? I can't imagine that would go over well with some trainers these days."

"They're not supposed to, but they do." Scott shrugged. "But just to let you two know, this might take awhile. I hope neither of you had appointments in Nimbasa."

"He said you have been training for awhile. Why _are_ you back here?" There was no suspicion in the boy's tone, only a polite sense of curiosity.

"I'm following someone, and she came through this way. It was easiest, if frustrating, and I didn't expect to get waylaid by every darmanitan in the region."

"So _you're_ why they're all acting so crazy?"

"It's not on purpose. I have a darumaka, and they seem to want to adopt him back into the wild or something. I didn't even catch him here."

The other two UFOs dispersed into the ruins, leaving them alone with themselves. The younger two trainers took the opportunity to release another pokémon each, and Scott absently rolled Nigel's pokeball between his hands. They introduced themselves to each other and tried to make smalltalk, but it was difficult with the situation at hand.

Mercifully, the situation changed. They heard a ruckus down the corridor and soon, one of the UFOs came back with his beartic, both of them scorched. "There are darmanitan down there," he said awkwardly.

Scott had known that. It was why he had chosen to spend his time in the front room. "You don't say."

"Look, you three... There are more pokémon here than anticipated. You guys wanna train up your teams or something and keep them busy? Just this group and one in another room, that's all, I promise."

"What do we get out of it?" Sarah asked at once.

"Training and experience," he said.

"We can get that anywhere," she replied, voice still hard. Scott had to give her props, standing up to an operative like that.

"Well, you can't get it until we let you leave. You help us clear the place out, and you get to leave sooner and get on with your lives."

"Or we can be spiteful and let you hash it out amongst yourselves," Scott suggested mildly.

The poor UFO groaned and dragged his hand through his hair. "_Fine_, I can give you each a stipend. A _small_ stipend."

"Now we're talking." And with that, the two younger trainers were assigned to one area crawling with krokorok and sandile, and Scott was herded off to deal with the darmanitan. He was capable of handling them, yes, but he didn't like doing it alone.

He used Vince and Nigel for the most part. They were a little more resistant to the heat, as well as physically intimidating. Well, Nigel was. His gigalith preferred to prance about and try to make friends. "Lith? Lith?"

"Goddamnit, Vince, cut it out," Scott said but his starter ignored the plea. The darmanitan weren't quite sure what to make of the overly friendly rock pokémon, but he'd rather them be confused than demanding Barbeque again. "Okay, whatever. Hey, all you darmanitan! I'm gonna need you to clear out of here for a couple days."

"Dar?" the largest one, likely some sort of leader, asked in clear shock.

"There are UFOs here and they're trying to track down some sort of illegal breeding operation. You know what they are? Goggles and psychics?" A couple of the fire pokémon nodded, eyes narrowing. Scott knew from experience that most older wild pokémon knew what they were, usually from having to deal with their warring with poachers and hunters.

"Kroo-krookodile," Nigel said, catching his trainer's attention.

"Huh? Really?"

"Kroo!"

"Dar!" the big darmanitan agreed with a snort.

"Well. I'll be damned." They told him that there actually _was_ some punk trying to breed pokémon, and that the trainer had captured one of the darmanitan of their tribe just last week. That was pretty recent. "What did the dude look like?"

"Manitan!" The big one pointed straight at Scott.

"Yeah, I _know_ it was a human." He didn't need Vince or Nigel translating that bit. It seemed like most wild pokémon thought humans looked alike, like how the average newbie thought all pokémon looked alike. Scott sighed and put his fist on his hip. He could try to reason with them, but it'd be a long, frustrating process. They may also lose their patience and go back to demanding his darumaka back, too.

Or he could just clear them out and let the UFOs do their job. After all, they had already suspected that the breeding gig was going on, so a bunch of wild pokémon confirming it would hardly help. And with psychics, they could easily translate their speech anyway, so, he reasoned, it was likely that they'd already tried asking the native populations.

And Scott didn't want to get into any deeper of a mess.

"You know what, if you could just all leave for a couple days, that'd just be awesome of you. A couple days out in the sunlight wouldn't hurt you, it'd get you lots of vitamin D, and you could play hide and seek in the sandstorm."

"Dar-man!"

"Lith."

"I figured as much. It'd be easier if you just moved of your own free will, you know... Look at these two. I'm not the young humans you're used to picking on. I'm one of the strong ones, like the goggles, and I don't want to get into a massive free for all with fire pokémon, _please_," Scott begged.

The room suddenly got much hotter. He released Yorick. Rocio would only be a hindrance and Barbeque might make them angrier. Scott pulled his go-googles back up over his eyes and pulled his hood up over his hair, hoping it'd provide a little protection.

It really didn't.

It took several hours and wiped out a lot of his reserves of healing supplies, but he did manage to scare off the bulk of the darmanitan and darumaka. Some of them fled deeper into the ruins, but that wasn't his problem. He cleared out that section and went back to the main room, collapsing on a pile of sand.

He was woken up by the two young trainers returning from their errand. "Hey. How'd you fare?"

"You look like you were chewed on by a krookodile," Sara replied. "And burned."

"I was burned," Scott said and held up his charred sleeves. "I want paid for my services. And a long, cold bath."

"Usually not the reason to take a cold soak, but you can do what you want now." The younger pair jumped as one of the operatives came out into the main room. Scott simply flopped over to look at him. "Thank you for all your work. You three can go now, since we want the place empty while we conduct a more thorough search."

"And our money?"

Looking like he sorely wished they'd forgotten about that, he pulled a wallet out of one of the pockets on his vest. He started counting out bills; Scott raised his eyebrow. He hadn't known it'd be coming out of the man's own pocket. He shook his head when he held out the money for him. "No, I don't need it that badly."

"It was your idea. You did some hard work, and you even got a little roughed up."

"Have a water pokémon? I'd rather have a cold dousing."

Laughing, the man reluctantly agreed. Scott noticed the two younger trainers took the money, but he couldn't blame them. He remembered when he had been desperate for cash, too. So Scott and Yorick both got a hosing down by the man's samurott, and Sarah said an awkward goodbye to them all.

"Stay out of trouble, you kids," the operative said before disappearing back into the ruins.

"...Why didn't you take the money?"

Scott shrugged. "I don't need it that badly right now. Anyway, I'm gonna be staying in here until Barbeque finishes drying my clothes. The last thing I want is to go out into the sandstorm while dripping wet."

"Oh. Well, good luck to finding that chick you're searching for. Maybe I'll see you around again." With that, Tyron left as well, and Scott was alone in the large middle room.

-.-.-

Ree was facing down Elesa for the second time in as many days. With only Whippy and Mitzi being able to fight, she had tried everything she could think of to overcome the gym leader. Whippy could take down an emolga at that point, and Mitzi was still excellent against the male one, but neither of them had the power to take down her zebstrika. Whippy had the size and ability, but had the weakness. Mitzi lacked the weakness and had the finesse, but not the actual strength. And between the two emolga sent out first, Ree never had both of them to use on it.

She was not a happy camper. Tori still followed along loyally, eager to offer emotional support, but even she was beginning to see that Ree's ego wasn't going to be able to take so many losses. She pleaded, more than once, for Ree to keep her cool and not let her temper get the better of her, but it was easier said than done. Tori didn't have to watch her pokémon get stomped time and time again, after all.

They were in the third round, _again_. Whippy versus the zebstrika, _again_. He had been unlucky and had gotten a burn on one of his legs early on, and it was hindering his agility. He'd been using his vines, his tail, even his little arms, all for movement to try to dodge the electric pokémon. He'd even tried luring it into running off the platform like a tauros or bouffalant.

Ree and Elesa weren't doing much better. While the last match hadn't resulted in shouting, they weren't more than civil towards each other. Ree couldn't _wait_ to do her victory dance all over that stupid platform when she earned that badge. But first, she'd have to get past the damned zebstrika.

"He has more mobility than the zebstrika does," Tori stage-whispered, "with his vines. He can make tighter turns and—"

"I _know_, but his vines can't hold him for very long!" Ree snapped back at her.

"He always has that leaf storm move—"

"It doesn't have enough power!"

"It can be used as a distraction—"

"We've _tried_ that!" Ree snarled and Tori finally quieted down. She knew, deep down, that her advice was coming from a good place and she was just trying to _help_, even going so far as to read up on the internet about servine and their battling skills during the evenings, but it was just grinding her nose into it. _She's helping me because she already earned her badge_, Ree thought angrily.

"Normally, you're not supposed to be helping each other," Elesa said as she examined her nails. "Use another flame charge."

"Dodge it!"

"Stop baiting her!" Tori added loyally.

Whippy launched himself out of the way with his powerful tail, but landed on his bad leg. He stumbled and fell on his snout. The zebstrika wheeled around, hooves still flaming, and charged at him again while he was down.

He leapt at the last moment, skidding across the platform. The zebstrika reared back with a panicked whinny, having nearly galloped off the edge. Whippy hissed, baring his fangs. Ree knew he had tried to act like a matador again, but couldn't fault him for it. Come to think of it, Tori had sort of used the same tactic—_wait, hadn't it broken its leg when it fell?_

The battle was suddenly halted by one of the last things Ree would have expected. The door behind Elesa opened up, its clacking drawing the attention of everyone the platform, and none other than Burgh waltzed out. He paused, just outside the doorway, looking surprised at the battle. Ree and Tori gaped at him.

"Oh my god—shit! Is it already four?" Elesa suddenly rolled up her coat's sleeve and gasped at her watch.

"No, honey, don't stop on my account. Work before pleasure," Burgh said easily.

"I _am_ a model in addition to this. They're both work." Elesa was suddenly much more cheerful, much more open. She even chuckled as she pulled her sleeve back down and returned to the battle. "Let's finish this quickly."

"I'll finish you quickly!" Ree shot back on reflex. Then, she backed off a little bit, still off guard by the easy smile Elesa was sporting. "Whippy, use another leaf tornado!"

"Ser!" He crouched down, and then jumped up, throwing sharp leaves as a wind kicked up. The zebstrika stood its ground, head lowered against the onslaught. Elesa's coat flapped in the wind and Ree had to hold her bangs out of her eyes, but the move was strong enough to keep the zebstrika pinned. They just had never figured out what to do when the storm died down and it was freed again.

Before she could think of anything, yet again, the tornado fizzled out. The zebstrika shook its mane and bristled, its short coat crackling with visible static. Whippy blanched and tried running for it, but it jumped at him, hooves once again on fire. Ree returned him before he was completely knocked out.

Again.

"I thought third time was supposed to be the charm," she grumbled and frowned down at his pokeball.

"You're getting better, though!" Tori stepped in soothingly. "I just wonder why Burgh is here instead of in Castelia..."

"Aren't they friends?"

"He's also friends with Lenora."

"Good job, honey! Try again later," Burgh called cheerfully. Ree wasn't sure he actually recognized her. "Oh, Elesa, you're such a darling bitch. I still can't believe you use flame charge so often. You _know_ it's hard on your poor zebstrika's hooves."

Ree felt vindicated knowing another gym leader disproved, however slightly, of Elesa's tactics. She and Tori got into the cart and she drummed her fingers against the safety bar, trying to think of some way to beat her next time. The fourth time. She had lost _three times—_and now she was just depressing herself again. At least the ride back around to the entrance wasn't nearly as terrifying as the actual roller coaster to get to her platform.

At least, it wasn't terrifying until the power went out. The gym went black, all of its neon shut off, and the cart halted on its tracks. She felt Tori freeze up beside her. They waited a beat, waiting to see if it was just a blip, but the gym stayed solidly dark. Another moment, and the alarmed shouting started up. There had been a couple other trainers on other platforms, in addition to the gym trainers, and judging from one particularly loud yelp, Ree guessed they weren't the only ones stranded on the tracks.

"How does an_ electric_ gym run out of power?" Tori asked, her voice higher than normal.

"Another thing I hate this gym for." She tried not think about the fact that they were suspended over open air. Heights were just _not_ her thing, and the fact that she couldn't see down didn't help things in the slightest. Her imagination filled in the gap.

There was a brief buzzing sound, and then an angry, wordless shout from Elesa. Dim lights came back on near the floor of the gym—emergency lights. "What is the meaning of this?" Elesa asked, her voice cutting across the gym. Ree and Tori twisted in their seats, looking back. There were two more figures on the platform with Elesa and Burgh. Ree recognized the black uniforms as Unovan field operatives. They had strong flashlights and were pointing them both at the gym leaders, making them look like they were in an interrogation scene from a movie.

"Someone's in _trouble_," Ree crooned and fully shifted, kneeling on the seat so she could watch.

"Uh, Ree, we're still not moving," Tori said.

"What's going on?" someone, a dim outline on the other side of the gym, shouted at Elesa's platform.

"Why is Burgh here?" someone else asked.

"Think they're in trouble for fraternizing? Or maybe she _shouldn't_ be using fire moves," Ree said gleefully. The four on the gym leader's platform were talking, in voices too low for it to be heard from where they were stuck.

"Ree, we're still not moving. Shouldn't the emergency power deal with this?" Tori asked.

"What if we saw a gym leader get sacked, just right now? We could have fifteen minutes of fame."

"They're not going to fire her!"

"Attention, trainers and gym trainers! Your attention please!" One of the field operatives had pulled a megaphone out from somewhere. "Stay calm, and stay on your platforms! We will be coming to fetch you momentarily!"

"Fetch us? Like—" Tori screamed as an elgyem appeared on the hood of their cart. Ree jumped, too, but at least she hadn't screamed.

"_Come_," the pokémon said telepathically and held out its little arms.

Tori was still pressed against the back of her seat, looking at it very distrustfully. Ree rolled her eyes and put her arm around the blonde's shoulders, then grabbed the psychic pokémon. They reappeared on the lowest level of the gym a moment later. "Ree! Don't do that!"

"You wanted to get down."

"I wanted a ride back to the entrance. Now we have to go back to the ladder up to there, and I wore a skirt today," Tori grumbled. It was a poor excuse and Ree saw right through it. She still didn't like UFOs... for some reason. The other trainers were getting gathered up and deposited on the floor, too, to the group's confusion. "Why can't we just leave?"

"They said the gym is on lock-down," one of the gym trainers said quietly. The rest of the trainers were retrieved from around the gym and put in their group. There were only four gym trainers, and aside from Ree and Tori, another three trainers who had been in the gym to challenge Elesa. The two gym leaders were the last to come down. Elesa looked angry again.

"Lock-down? As in—we're stuck in here?"

"Wait, they can't do that!"

"Then why is Burgh here?"

"Why can't we leave?"

"Everyone, quiet!" Elesa barked. The group fell silent and turned to her for answers. "This has nothing to do with Burgh being here. We regularly meet with each other."

"Then what _are_ we here for?" one of the gym trainers demanded.

"This had better be good," Ree added.

Elesa gave her a sharp look. Ree gladly returned it. "It has come to our attention that... No. This is a precaution, nothing more. There's been an incident, and until it has been resolved, the state of Unova is being exceedingly cautious."

"Wait, so this is going on elsewhere?" Tori asked.

"Every place that has major governmental power or large groups of trainers are undergoing similar lock-downs, to protect the citizens," she said. "This includes Nimbasa's stadium, the station, and the theater."

"Oh, so it'll be a city-wide panic. That's nice," one of the gym trainers retorted. Ree decided to like him.

"No, that's what we're preventing. Not all of it will be as drastic as this," Elesa shot back. "Now, we would like your cooperation and for you all to stay calm. This shouldn't take more than a couple hours for it to get wrapped up."

"Let me get this straight," Ree said, processing that little announcement. "We're all going to be in here for several _hours_ with you?"

"Yes."

Ree turned on her heel and made a line for the ladder leaning upwards. One of the operatives grabbed the back of her shirt and halted her. It hadn't been a serious escape attempt—at least, not yet—but she was going to be damned if she would sit in there nicely after losing another battle.

"Oh, I remember you," Burgh spoke up suddenly. "I recognize you from your challenge."

"Well, yeah. This is the next gym," Ree said flatly.

"The traditional circuit hasn't been so popular lately," he replied, waving off her dismissive reply. "Elesa, I didn't know _she_ was the one you've been having trouble with."

"Yes," Elesa replied in a pained voice. "That's her."

"Nice to see you're leaving another great impression," Tori said and sighed.

"She wasn't that bad when she challenged me. And she left me with a new assistant to bother all day. I seem to recall you, too, honey. The one who had a breakdown when I called out my venipede."

Tori blushed furiously and there were a couple of quiet chuckles.

"See? It's not that hard to simply hold a conversation," Burgh said happily and sat down on the floor, pulling Elesa down alongside him. "We can sit in here for a little while and have a nice chat. Get to know this generation of trainers. It's important for gym leaders not to lose touch with the training population."

"Yeah, yeah," Elesa said and crossed her arms.

Ree had to admit, she was a little grateful to Burgh for defusing the tension so quickly. Elesa was still a bitch, but he could make it better, and that one gym trainer was pleasantly snotty towards the gym leader as well. The trainers sat down, forming a lopsided circle, in little knots with the people they somewhat knew. The UFOs gave each other uncomfortable looks before sitting down as well. Soon, they'd probably be singing together around a campfire or something.

"So, preggers, how have you been doing? Obviously not that well against Elesa."

Nope, no campfire or singing. Ree was going to murder a gym leader instead.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Whoops. Ree is not happy about being outed in front of Tori and the others, and the situation at hand gets explained.


	19. Of Idle Chitchat

"I don't know, the portrayal of women in that movie was really problematic for me," Scott said diplomatically.

Ree looped her arm in his and rolled her eyes. "Dude, I wasn't even looking at the ladies. I was _all_ about the men in that movie. Mm."

"But only three women had speaking parts in the entire movie! And they were all in heels or barefoot, and one of them never actually wore _pants_," he said.

"One of the men never wore pants."

"Okay, so that's fair. But what about heels? I don't see you pulling on heels when you want to go kick ass."

"That'd be impossible. I'm terrible with heels," she said and stuck out her tongue. "How do you even notice this stuff?"

"How do you _not_?" Scott asked incredulously. She shrugged. "Even when they were being badass, they were still overtly sexualized. Fighting games are the same way—hell, all games are the same way these days. I just don't see how you aren't tired of it yet."

"Maybe I'm just disillusioned. Or desensitized," Ree replied.

Scott sighed wearily. "Okay, look at _Metroid_. Look at _Portal_."

"Awesome games."

"And female protagonists. They're not sexualized, they're in actual clothes, and they kick ass. So why can't we see that in more games?"

"Aww," Ree teased, "are you grumpy that Garrus is ignoring your fem-Shep in favor of calibrations again?"

"Not even the characters in my games treat women fairly," Scott whined, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. "But seriously, no... I don't know. It just sort of rubs me the wrong way. You're allowed to hit me if I ever treat you unfairly, okay?"

"Duly noted, Scottie."

-.-.-

**Chapter Nineteen**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Idle Chitchat

-.-.-

"You are under arrest for assaulting a gym leader."

"You can't treat me like this! I have rights! I have the right to beat him up!"

"Let her go, let her go! It was my fault!" Burgh cried, one hand over his bloody nose. Ree glowered at the two UFOs until they released her. And then she turned her glare on Burgh. The rest of the group was staring at her with mixed expressions, mostly shock or amusement. Elesa looked mildly sick.

She was staunchly avoiding looking for Tori's reaction.

"Why the hell would you say something like that out loud!" Ree demanded, though it came out as a whine. She was actually still enjoying her flat stomach and lack of evidence (morning sickness aside), thank you very much, and didn't need her issue thrown back in her face like that. Especially in front of certain sheltered conservatives.

"You know, it can't be a secret forever! I thought you would have at least told your companion this time—you seem like the type not to _care_, honestly! I'm sorry," Burgh said. He tilted his head back, nose pinched, and Elesa pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at the blood.

"I just—does it _look_ like I'm advertising the fact yet?!" She made a wild gesture to her belly area.

"You certainly act the part of the hormonal mother-to-be," Elesa remarked dryly.

"Do not start with me," Ree shot back.

"Ree?" She flinched and didn't turn to face Tori. "...Is it true? Are you actually—oh gosh, _are_ you pregnant?"

She braced herself for the onslaught of judgment and scolding. This wasn't going to be fun. "...Yeah. I am."

Ree stumbled forward, off balance; Tori threw herself at her in an excited hug. "Oh my gosh, congratulations! That explains the food and the pickiness and oh _gosh_, that's so cute! I didn't even know you were married!"

"..." She took a moment to process all of that, standing there with Tori hanging off of her like a very heavy necklace. It probably would have been easier if Tori hadn't made such assumptions. Ree delicately pried her friend off, and then held up both hands. "Do you _see_ any rings?"

Tori stared at her with large eyes, computing.

"...It means she's not married," one of the gym trainers, the one Ree had decided to like, chimed in.

"You're not in this discussion," Ree barked back. She decided she didn't like him anymore.

"Hey, free soap opera. I'll take my entertainment where I can get it," he replied, just as easily.

"Rolan, stop it," Elesa said tiredly. "Everyone, let's just calm down. There's nothing at all to be so excited about; women get pregnant every day and it's her own damned business if she is or isn't."

"Unusually charitable of you, Elesa," Ree said suspiciously.

"I don't want your lover's quarrel in my gym."

"I'm not with her!" Tori said, rejoining them at last. Ree rolled her eyes and Burgh hid a chuckle beneath the bloody handkerchief. "I just... You're not... Why would you choose to have a baby if you're not married, Ree?"

"I didn't choose this." The words were out there before she could censor herself. Tori dropped back off of their plane of existence while she tried to realize that oh my gosh there was an unwed pregnant gal in front of her. Ree would be surprised if she ever heard the end of this.

"Now I see your reasons," Burgh said. Ree nodded. "Well, we may as well take advantage of the drama bomb I inadvertently let loose. Anyone else have any great confessions for us? Strangers and gym leaders make great psychiatric help, let me tell you."

No one offered anything. She wasn't really expecting anyone to.

"Right." He sighed and pulled the handkerchief away. It looked like his nose had stopped bleeding, though there was dried blood over quite a bit of his mouth. "Now that everyone is fairly calmed down, let's just all relax again and have, I don't know, nice discussions."

"What's going on that they had to shut down the gyms?" one of the challenging trainers asked.

"I think you owe us at least that much for an answer," Ree added archly.

Elesa and Burgh shared a look. "There's been an incident," he admitted. Elesa's expression darkened and she turned from him, looking at one of the UFOs. "As you all know, international tensions are strained right now. And the underground goings-on of Unova has never been bloodier. This cannot leave this room, you understand, but there may have been an attempted kidnapping of a gym leader."

The trainers stared at the pair, silent and surprised. "...attempted?"

"We're not sure who's behind it, but Iris has gone missing after a scuffle in the gym. And after what happened to Jasmine last month..."

"What happened to Jasmine?" one of the gym trainers gasped.

"Who's Jasmine?" Ree echoed.

"Jasmine is a gym leader from Johto, and she was threatened inside her gym. Violence against gym leaders has been on the rise, with trainers getting more and more skittish," Elesa explained. "Sinnoh's issues haven't been helping this feeling in the least."

"Wait, so then isn't Burgh being outside of his gym and here sort of a bad thing if there's another leader missing?" the gym trainer pressed.

"I left my secretary in charge," Burgh replied.

"Kev?" Ree asked. He nodded. "...You left a non-native in charge of your gym during a political scare? You left _Kev_ in charge during a political scare?"

She watched as he visibly paled. "...Well, it's not like I knew this was going to happen today! Elesa and I see each other every two weeks, that's nothing new!"

"Who's Kev?" Elesa asked curiously.

"Very capable new guy."

"The cute one?"

"Yes."

Ree ignored their discussion and had her phone out, scrolling down the contacts list to Kev's number. She tapped out a text at light speed. "_Whatever you do don't do anything stupid and stay calm._"

The reply was just as fast. That was worrying. "_why are you n harry both telling me that_" was all he said.

"_Stay inside & keep everyone out_"

"_youre worrying me ree_"

"Burgh, he doesn't even know what's going on!" Ree accused, waving her phone in the air.

To her surprise, she wasn't the only one texting. One of the female gym trainers looked up from her smartphone, light reflecting off her glasses. "Burgh, sir, you know Carrie, right? She says there's nothing going on at the gym right now."

"Why the hell are you two here and not in Castelia?" Elesa demanded with venom.

"There are gym leaders here. There's not one in Castelia, and the gym is already turning away trainers because of it. There is no need to shut down the gym and cause more of a stir," the operative replied wryly. "It was sort of a lucky break."

"How did you even know Burgh was here? He just showed up a little while ago."

"All gym leaders have psychic locks on them in case of emergencies," Elesa replied dismissively.

That snapped Tori out of her shock. "_What_?!" Ree winced at the high note. "That's barbaric!"

"That's how it works here! Gym leaders are valuable, as celebrities and as officials."

"Wait," one of the challenging trainers interrupted, hands up to try to keep the peace, "then why doesn't anyone know where Iris is?"

"It just takes a skilled dark pokémon or another psychic to break a psychic lock. They're not perfect," one of the gym trainers replied on reflex.

"That's right," Burgh agreed. "They're just a precaution, one all gym leaders take. That's all. But now that you've joined us, girl, how about we all just sit back down and take a breather."

Tori plopped down, still looking a little shell-shocked. Ree gingerly sat down next to her. The UFOs gave Ree a couple of evil looks, but sat down on either side of the gym leaders as well.

"We're safe in here, whatever happens. We have two gym leaders and two UFOs in here—stop laughing," Elesa spat at the chuckling challenger. "You're the one without a badge, so I don't see what's so funny."

"No, no, it's funny that you think we're worried. _We_ wouldn't be the targets here. And you're the one with the injured pokémon."

"I still have four good ones, more than enough to teach you a lesson."

"Honey, calm down," Burgh said, placing a hand on her shoulder. The model huffed and turned from the snarky challenger.

"I thought you only had three pokémon?" another challenger asked timidly.

Burgh tried to keep in a laugh. It came out as an undignified snort. "See, discussion. I like this. Who here thinks Elesa and I only have three pokémon?" No one dared raise their hand, though Ree _had_ thought that. "We're only allowed to battle with a set amount at a time. We keep more, due to self defense, pets, other trained pokémon, whatever. I'm personally trying to get Alder to let me battle with my scolipede, but he won't."

"I have two zebstrika, and one of them has a broken leg right now. I can still use his brother for my gym battles, and no one's actually noticed."

"I'm sorry," Tori mumbled.

"It happens. Regardless, I am still more than enough to take any of you down," Elesa declared haughtily. "Some more easily than others."

"Bitch," Ree hissed.

And so began the longest three hours of Ree Majors' life.

-.-.-

Scott trailed into the Nimbasa pokémon center. It was unusually deserted, which suited him just fine. He was tired, hungry, and sunburned; the last thing he needed was noisy kids and their noisy pokémon. He yawned and pulled his hood off, then trotted across the lobby. Okay, maybe a quiet pokémon center made him nervous.

"Hello?" He already had Vince's pokeball out, having just returned him. He rolled it between his hands on the counter. "Is anyone here?"

"Oh!" A nurse peeked out from a door just down the hall, clearly surprised. "Welcome! I'm sorry, we've been a little short-staffed lately, and trainers don't usually appear during the middle of the day—I'm rambling, sorry—"

"Hey, it's okay. Just want some check-ups and basic stuff, nothing pressing," Scott said.

"Ooh, you look rather red. Just get through the desert?" she asked sympathetically as he started pulling pokeballs out of his backpack. He nodded vaguely. The last thing he wanted was to remember all of those days in the scorching sun. "I've heard it's been unusually hot out this fall, too. I hope it cools down soon."

"I don't. I'm from Castelia—even this far north is making me skittish."

"It doesn't get too bad here. Nothing like in Icirrus, that's for sure." He winced. He had tried to go there in February once. He had gotten frostbite on his fingers and Vince had almost died.

He slid his ID across the counter and she looked it over, a little longer than usual. It tended to be a quick glance, but she was actually studying it. "...Is there something the matter?"

"Oh? No! Nothing. Just looking it over," she said, too quickly, and passed it back to him. Scott played with the card while he watched her tap away on the computer. He could see that she was inputting his team's species names.

"The center seems quiet today," he remarked.

"Yes, it is."

"I didn't see the ferris wheel going, either."

"Today's just a quiet day in Nimbasa."

"Right." Something was definitely up.

His suspicions were confirmed when she asked brightly, "Would you like a room? We have plenty free right now and you could settle in while I take care of your pokémon."

"Is there a reason why you'd like to keep all the trainers in their rooms?" Scott asked mildly.

The nurse flinched as though he had hit her. "N-No! Just—Just asking a question!"

"Look, miss, I'm not a kid. Did something happen?" He tried reason.

She tapped the keys a little harder than necessary. "Nimbasa is allowed to have quiet afternoons like any other city, mister Felton. We can't be partying _all_ the time."

"Oh, is that the reason the lights were out at the gym, too?" He tried honesty.

And that won him the battle. She hissed a "shh!" at him and cast furtive looks about the empty lobby. Then, in a low voice, she said, "I don't know how you found out, but I'll have to ask you to keep quiet about all of this. We're trying to avoid a panic or any sort of dramatic behavior."

"Right, down-low. Got it." He couldn't help but wonder what had happened that had put the center staff on alert. And if the gym was involved, it was possible it was some sort of training emergency. Hopefully it was just something like an accident, not anything too dangerous. The last thing he wanted was crazed mass murderers, human or pokémon, prowling the area.

Especially not if Ree was around.

"Say, miss, I'm looking for someone."

She gave him another suspicious look, lips pursed. "And what is your relation?"

"Significant other." He caught her eyes go down to his hands and he quickly jammed them in his pockets. "Did I say spouse? It's a serious relationship, that's it."

"If you give me a name..."

"Ree Majors."

She turned back to her computer and pulled up a new window, a list of names. He craned his neck to try to read, but she scowled at him and tilted the monitor. "...Yes, it seems like a Majors is staying here, and has been for a couple days."

His heart leapt. "What's her room number?"

"I can't give that away without her consent. I can give you a room and you're welcome to try to catch her in the lobby or _call_ her, but unless she confirms your relationship, you're going to have to find her the old-fashioned way."

"Gee, thanks," Scott huffed as his heart sank again. He wasn't sure if that had been changed due to the apparent emergency or if it had changed since he'd last been seriously training. But at least he had a confirmation that Ree was in Nimbasa!

He laid down on one of the couches, relishing the space to himself, and texted Maya. He told her that he had located Ree again. She didn't reply right away, which meant she was probably busy. Scott closed his eyes for a brief moment. He was just now realizing how sore he was. Still burnt in a couple places and sunburned as well. He had forgotten how rough pokémon training and traveling could be on the body.

If Ree was in Nimbasa, it was likely she was trying to get the badge. He tried to remember what Maya had said her team was. A snivy, a whimsicott, and a pidove, or was it a purrloin? Either way, she likely wouldn't have a very easy time. Scott had breezed through Elesa's gym with Vince and Nigel, exploiting weaknesses, but knew that Elesa could be difficult for trainers who weren't prepared for her.

If something was going on, however, the gym would be temporarily shut down. Nimbasa was a big city and keen on fashion, so she could be out shopping to use up time, or perhaps at the amusement park. She could even be in the center, in her room, with those traveling companions of hers. _No, just the girl now_, he thought, sourly recalling the cold treatment he'd gotten when looking for her in the Castelia gym.

Before Scott knew it, he was falling asleep, glad to be inside, out of the sun, and on something soft. Ree could wait for just a little bit longer.

-.-.-

"I gotta pee," Ree announced. Elesa pointed to a door across the large room. She got up, ignoring the looks she got, and marched there with as much dignity as she could muster. The past hour had been nothing but her and Elesa sniping at each other, and idle smalltalk. It was incredibly _boring_ and incredibly stressful. The fact that everyone knew her dirty little secret was like a song stuck in her head. It wouldn't leave her be, and so she was acutely aware that everyone _knew_, and they were staring at her like a _pregnant girl_, not just Ree.

She wasn't expecting Tori to come after her. She should've, considering that _she_ was one of those who knew and kept giving her weird looks. Ree slammed the stall door shut in her face before she could corner her.

"Ree, we have to talk!" Tori chided and stepped back.

Ree snorted at her in response. Her companion kicked the door, making her jump. "About _what_, Tori? Tell me what exactly you want to talk about."

"You! Your—choices."

Ree decided to wait that one out. It was very tempting to simply sit in the stall for forever, too. No judgy looks and no bitchy gym leader. Not to mention the fact that sitting on the floor was hard on her butt.

"Ree, please. I just want to know... how that could have happened to you."

"Well, you see, when two people love each other very much—or get drunk, you know, sometimes that's fun—"

"I'm being _serious_!" Tori hissed and kicked the door again.

"I got knocked up. There's no grand story to go along with it, sorry to disappoint," she said dryly.

"But—you're such a smart girl!" Ree paused, then realized Tori was being serious still. She tried not to laugh. "You shouldn't have been doing that stuff anyway, you're too young—"

"Excuse me, but I'm not the kid like you are. I'm two years older than you!"

"I haven't been out there whoring around!"

"...It was with my boyfriend," Ree said, a little hurt by the outburst. "I've been dating him for a year and a half."

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that, it was just... reflex. I'm really sorry."

"Tori, what put that stick up your ass? Teenagers have sex. It's a thing we do, be it good or bad."

"I was just raised... differently, I guess."

Okay, going from sitting on a floor to sitting on a toilet wasn't that much of an upgrade. Ree sighed, gave up on her sanctuary, and flushed. Tori was leaning against the sinks, careful not to touch too much of the wall behind her.

"Why aren't you with your boyfriend now?" Tori asked, seeming timid. Probably afraid of another argument.

"He doesn't know," Ree said simply and turned on the water. She washed her hands, and then splashed colder water on her face. Her shorter hair stuck awkwardly to her cheeks and forehead, but it was refreshing. "And I don't _want_ him to know. This is my fault, probably, and even if it wasn't, I'm not going to involve him."

"You started this training journey when you knew you were pregnant?"

"I'm clearly not great at thinking things through."

"Is that why that UFO has a lock on you?"

"Oh, yeah. He's in cahoots with my baby doctor, and she's keeping an eye on me through him. It's not that bad, promise."

"Ree, why didn't you tell me?" Tori asked quietly. Ree didn't answer her and dried her hands, back to her. "...You weren't going to tell me, were you?"

"It seemed easier not to."

"Why? Don't you think I would've noticed in a couple months? Or—Or weren't you going to travel with me for that long?"

"Tori, I just don't think these things through! I wanted to put it off for as long as possible, regardless of whether or not we stuck together! Now please, drop it! I don't want to get chewed out by you for my life choices."

"Chewed out?" Tori echoed, sounding appalled. "Is that what you think I'm in here for?"

"You seem to be doing a good job at it so far," Ree said and rolled her eyes.

"I am trying to figure out what's going on! I just found out one of my friends is pregnant, running from her boyfriend, and I—I'm confused, and a little concerned! Sorry for worrying."

"_This_ is why I didn't want to tell you!" Ree spat. "I knew you'd turn this into something bigger than it is and throw a hissy fit about it! I _don't_ need you preaching at me for my choices or being pregnant or whatever!"

"You think I'd disapprove?" Tori asked, suddenly quiet again. Ree had the feeling she had gone too far, and tried to think of a way to backpedal. Tori continued. "Did you think I'd be angry at you, Ree?"

"But you... you sort of were..."

"I'm surprised, yes. But I'm mad that you were keeping it from me! I'm mad that you don't seem to trust me with that sort of secret—and I'm hurt that you think I'd react so badly it was preferable to jump through hoops to keep your secrets safe from me!"

"No, Tori—it's just—you're kind of judgmental about these sorts of things!" Ree tried.

"Y-Yeah, but I'm not going to be _mad_ at you for them! I may disapprove, but it's done now. Ree, you're my friend, even if we haven't known each other that long. You're really cool, if crass, and your pokémon are great, too. You don't know everything about me, fine. But I wouldn't stop being your friend just because of something like this!"

With that, Tori stormed out of the restroom, door swinging shut behind her. After a moment, Ree groaned and pulled at her hair. She had kind of counted on Tori blowing up at her when she found out, but definitely not for those reasons. She had her pegged wrong, or maybe she simply hadn't trusted her enough. She obviously wasn't shallow enough to dump her by the wayside for that.

She rejoined the group and sat back down beside Tori. They didn't say anything else about their discussion. The group made idle chitchat again, comparing strategies against certain types of pokémon. It wasn't terribly exciting, but it was cool to hear about the other trainers. Two were from Nuvema, and the other was from just outside Undella. They lapsed into sharing tales of where they grew up, and the gym trainers told them about things they had seen in Nimbasa over the years.

Elesa and Burgh talked quietly by themselves. It didn't seem like anything too suspicious, and when Ree tried to eavesdrop, it seemed to be about how long a skirt should be to be considered formal. It felt a little strange, seeing them interacting as friends and _people_, rather than facing them down from across a battling arena.

Eventually, the group started up a heated debate about their favorite pokémon. The two gym leaders leapt into the discussion, loyally defending their types of choice, and one of the UFOs joined in after a couple arguments, too. The other seemed to be busy texting.

Less than half of them actually owned what their favorite pokémon was, which was slightly surprising. Tori was in the gray area. "Swanna are the best! I have a ducklett, and I can't wait for her to evolve! They are graceful but strong, and there's even been plays written about them!"

"My zebstrika is far superior to that water fowl," Elesa said smugly.

"This isn't about battle potential!" one of the challenging trainers chided her. "Otherwise, shouldn't the legendary pokémon be default favorites?"

"Legendary pokémon are just that—legends and myths," Tori scoffed. "Things for churches and cults."

"That's not true! Arceus is our one true savior, and His will created the world!" one of the gym trainers snapped.

"Back to favorite pokémon," Burgh broke in. "I don't want any religion in this discussion. Maybe next. Give us a chance to steel ourselves."

"My favorite pokémon is the best, so we can wrap up this discussion," Ree declared. "Heatmor! I'm gonna catch one some day." She even had a stuffed toy of one, though she hadn't brought it with her to the gym.

"Those are only found way north, before you head to the elite four," one of the gym trainers, Rolan, pointed out.

"So it'll be strong when I catch it."

"I'm going to save up my money so I can go overseas one day. I want to go on a real safari in Kanto," one of the gym trainers gushed. "I'll get a license beforehand so I can bring back anything I can catch. I'd kill for a pikachu."

"Boy, I know how that feels. You call me up when you go over and I will totally come with," Burgh agreed with a dreamy sigh. "I've been wanting to catch a scyther since I was a boy..."

"Isn't it like, illegal for gym leaders to want non-native pokémon?" Ree asked. One of the challengers nodded, too.

"Oh, so you're one of _those_ types. I wouldn't be stupid enough to use it in my gym. I just want one for myself."

"There's nothing wrong with Unovan pokémon," Ree said defensively. Tori nodded in loyal agreement.

"But there are so many more types of pokémon in the world," the gym trainer replied. "Haven't you ever wanted to see something exotic, just _because_ it's exotic?"

"There are zoos for that."

They briefly had a discussion about Unova versus the rest of the world, and were thoroughly divided on the issue. Not even Burgh and Elesa could agree on the topic. They did return to religion as well, thanks to the gym trainer, and she tried to point out the virtues of Arceus. Ree mostly tuned her out; she didn't give religion much thought. She was somewhat surprised it was so popular in Unova, since Arceus had supposedly lived in Sinnoh.

Smalltalk gave way to a battle as one of the challengers convinced Elesa to let him try. She won, but it was only narrowly. Closer than Ree had ever gotten, and that made her a little jealous. It also gave Tori a brief moment in the spotlight to show off the badge she had won.

They had just been picking out their favorite badge designs (to Elesa and Burgh's obvious interest) when one of the UFOs received a call. Everyone tensed. She had a brief conversation, mostly monosyllabic on her end, and then hung up. "Iris is safe, and the culprit has been caught."

"Who was it?" Elesa asked.

"We suspect a remnant member of Team Plasma." The UFO's eyes flicked towards the group of trainers, hanging on her words. "But it has not been confirmed yet. Anyway, we have been advised to lift the lock-down. The situation has been contained."

The power flickered back on in the gym, bathing them all in orange from a neon sign just above them. Ree blinked a couple times, adjusting to the change. "Hmph, about time," Elesa grumbled. She got to her feet and dusted off her dress. "Alright then, you're all free to go or continue with your challenges. Thank you for your cooperation. Bloody noses aside."

"Don't start," Ree warned.

"That's it? We're just done now?" Tori asked, brows furrowed.

"Yes. These sorts of scares are, unfortunately, not terribly rare. It's under control now, though, so why bother freaking out the training population further? With luck, this will be a minor story in the media and no one of import will have noticed that it was a nation-wide shutdown."

"Burgh, sir, we would like to escort you back to Castelia," the other operative said as he stood up.

"I just got here. We haven't even been able to chat, what with all of this drama."

"It would be better for the gym leaders to stay in their gyms for the time being."

"Ugh, fine. Honey, I'm so sorry. We'll have to do dinner next week." They hugged and he went off with the UFOs like he was walking to the electric chair. They vanished.

"Doesn't the way they treat people bother you?" Tori asked.

"Some people are just curt. If I had their job, I'd be a lot meaner," Elesa replied, shrugging. "Now off, you lot. Most of you need to heal your pokémon. And I heard more than one stomach growl during our chatter."

It was strange to see gym leaders in such a context, acting human and having lives outside of their jobs. They were such icons; it was like seeing different people. Ree mused on that as she and Tori walked leisurely back to the pokémon center. She donned her sunglasses against the setting sun, and they discussed whether they should go out to eat or just eat for free in the cafeteria.

Ree almost walked past him. She did a double-take at the sleeping blond boy on the couch; the center was almost empty, aside from him. Tori kept walking, unaware she'd stopped until she was almost at the counter. "Ree?"

She stared down at him. He looked a little roughed up, but that was unmistakably Scott.

She bit back her first impulse—to scream and bolt—and darted to the counter. "Shh! That—fuck me, how did he catch up—god, we're taking too long here!"

"What's wrong?!" Tori asked, alarmed.

"You know my boyfriend who I'm trying _really_ hard to avoid?" She nodded. "That's him on the couch, napping like he didn't just give me a fucking heart attack."

"Oh my—that's him?" Before she could stop her, Tori crept back over, as silent as a liepard.

"Are you here for your pokémon or would you like a room?" The nurse behind the desk caught Ree's attention, and she hurriedly shoved Mitzi and Whippy's pokeballs at her.

"Tori! Stop it!"

"Oh, yes, that boy was in here asking about you, miss Majors."

"Did you tell him where I am?!" Ree asked, whirling around on the nurse.

"He knows you have a room, but I didn't tell him the number. We can't without your consent." She arched an eyebrow. "It sounds like you'd rather not have him find out."

"Hell no! Don't tell him anything about me—don't tell him when I leave, either! Here, heal those—I'll be in my room—I'll send Tori down to get them, okay? How long should they take?"

"Oh, not long—twenty minutes if it's basic care they require?"

"Right. _Tori_, get your ass over here!" Ree stage-whispered. Tori tiptoed away from the couch, and they retreated to their room.

"My, Ree, he's... cute," Tori said smugly.

"Well, yeah, but I'm trying to avoid him! Ugh, I hadn't wanted him to catch up yet..." She released Lala and Harper onto her bed, and then rummaged around for their medicine. "It's Castelia all over again. Second floor, _again_..."

She found their pill bottles and gave them both their doses, and took her own vitamins for good measure. Maybe she should use Tori as a reminding device for that. She was certain Lenore would kill her if she knew how often she forgot.

"You're not showing yet. You could go down and see him. He's following you, right? I'm sure he's very worried about you."

"No, I can't. If I see him... Tori, I just can't, okay? I'd become a big, blubbering mess and I'd probably throw up on him or something. So, supper's out, can't eat here. You can, if you want, but I'm headed out to fast food or something. You two, return again." Ree returned her two injured ones. She wasn't sure why she became antisocial as a default whenever she was on the lam, but hopefully Tori would understand. "Pick up Mitzi and Whippy for me, please?"

"You're showing an awful lot of trust."

"Just because I didn't tell you I was knocked up doesn't mean I don't trust you, Tori. Besides, I figure if you tried to run off with them, Whippy would kill you or something. No offense."

"None taken, but—_Ree what are you doing_?!" Tori shouted as she opened the window and sat on the sill.

"I'm climbing down so I can go eat," Ree replied, all innocence. She swung a leg out. "I've done this before," she added calmly.

"But you're—you can't, Ree! You're pregnant and we're on the second story!"

"Yeah, I know. But again, I've done it before."

"Get back in here!" Tori shrieked and grabbed her, heaving her back inside. She was strong for her size. "...Okay, Ree, I'll respect your wishes to avoid him. But please don't go playing galvantula and crawling around on the sides of buildings. We can just put you in a disguise, okay?"

Ree never could say no to a proper disguise.

-.-.-

Scott awoke to an audino gently shaking his shoulder. "Audi! Aud," it squeaked.

"Hmm?"

"Audi," it said and gestured down the hall. He could see the cafeteria from there; he assumed it was dinner time. He sat up, holding his head. He hadn't meant to sleep so long, but after so many days in that damned desert, he supposed a nap on a center couch was like sleeping on ducklett down and the softest of furs.

"Right, thanks." He sat up completely and let his hair down, combing through it with his fingers. He retied it and got up, aching in novel new ways. Great. He went over to the counter, still groggy, and got his pokémon back from where they held them for him. The nurse said that she hadn't wanted to wake him, since he had looked so tired. More like she had wanted to stop him from pestering her further.

The center was a little busier, at least. The sun was setting and the dinner rush was in full swing. A couple of trainers were leaving for outside restaurants, including a boy leading an unruly deerling, but the trainers were mostly headed _in_ to the mess hall. His stomach growled; finally, real food! He could potentially catch Ree in there, too, since she probably wouldn't know he was there.

Scott chose one of the less crowded areas, since his pokémon were all fairly large. Not quite like the large golurk in the corner, but they still needed space. He scanned the mass of trainers for that familiar curly brown mop, but he didn't see her anywhere. He didn't see that redheaded girl she traveled with, either. He really hoped she hadn't left the center, but it was possible they were just late.

"Yeah, right," he mumbled to himself as he started bringing his pokémon food. He knew what they liked from experience, and kept them parked at the table while he fetched it for them. It was easier that way, even if he got his food last. "Sorry, Vince, but the golurk over there got the rest of the gravel. And Nigel, that's all you get tonight. You were getting fat off of all those sandile in the desert."

Scott and his team settled in for their meal. He kept his eye on the crowd, but he still didn't see Ree. The mess hall closed long after he was done eating, but he had been holding out hope to see her. She had to have found out he was there, somehow. She was actively avoiding him again.

He pretended that the realization didn't hurt.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Well, Ree and Scott are once again in the same city. Will he finally confront her this time, or will Ree slip out of his grasp again? She still needs her badge from Elesa, either way, and how can she overcome such odds?


	20. Of Timing Issues

"_ugh so bored_"

"_what are you doing thats so boring?_"

"_class._"

"_XD you have classes still? NERD._"

"_don't you laugh at my misfortune ree!_"

"_I will laugh at what i want. brb_"

Scott sighed and slid his phone shut. It had been a pleasant way to waste a couple minutes. The lecture droned on, something about the color symbolism of red poppies, and he doodled for a little while. But he was far from an artist, and soon got bored of that. His fingers itched to go do something worthwhile, like practicing guitar—and Carly, sitting several rows down, tapping out a beat with her pencil was most certainly not helping.

He was debating whether or not to throw something at her. His aim wasn't spectacular, however, and he'd likely end up hitting someone else. And failing that, his luck meant he'd probably get caught. It wasn't worth a detention or extra assignment. He couldn't doodle, he couldn't practice, he couldn't text—why, there was practically nothing left but taking notes. Egad.

Except then Ree, bushy hair wrapped in a purple scarf, burst through the door and shrieked, "_Troll_! Troll in the dungeon!"

The teacher gaped at her.

"Thought you should know," she gasped out, barely audible over the raucous laughter that had broken out. She faked a faint against the door frame. Scott was trying to stay upright in his seat, he was laughing so hard. He'd noticed that she had even brought in a stick from outside as a wand.

Since it _was_ a class on literature and since they did only have ten minutes left, the teacher let them go, to supposedly evade the troll. "Don't forget your assignment, and I'll have no trolls as excuses! They're in the dungeons, nowhere else, so only Slytherins get to use the excuse!"

A couple students immediately claimed to be Slytherin, but the teacher was done humoring them and claimed that they were all clearly Ravenclaw, since he knew they were _so_ very capable of doing extra assignments. They quickly shut up.

Scott caught Ree after she had made a dash for the safety of the outside world, steering clear of the teacher. "I love you," he said at once.

Scarf now stuffed in her pocket, she flipped her ponytail over her shoulder. "I know. Clearly, troll warnings are what you keep me around for."

"Clearly," he agreed. He took her hand and, still fighting laughter, pressed a kiss against her cheek.

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Timing Issues

-.-.-

"You two, not so frisky," Ree said. Mitzi took her paws off of Whippy with a horrified expression; Whippy stayed curled around her and only offered his trainer a hiss. "We're bathing, not flirting."

"Ser!" he whined.

"C'mere." She squatted down and used the washcloth to rub at the burnt scales on his hip. A fair amount of them came off, and she picked a couple more off of him, but the rest stayed put. Shinier new scales were already growing in under the last coat. "...Do you even have skin, or are you scales all the way down?"

"Servine-vine!" Whippy gasped.

"Yeah... Don't know what that means. Just let me clean that out." Ree scrubbed at the area. He hissed at the start, but stood still, to let her. Mitzi hovered around, worrying her wet tail between her paws. "He'll be fine, just a minor thing. The last thing we need is an infection, anyway. But you two, _both_ of you, you need cleaned. Badly."

Lala and Harper were staying out of battles, so they were staying relatively clean. It was a small miracle. Whippy and Mitzi, on the other hand, had been going up against Elesa and her gym trainers pretty much daily, and they hadn't always had time to get clean after. Ree sat down completely and grabbed her soap. Although she was trying to take a shower, she had stopped the drain so she could get some suds going for her pokémon.

Mitzi was fairly easy to clean; her fur wasn't too dirty, and she was eager to help. Whippy, on the other hand... He didn't like the bath idea when he couldn't play with the bubbles, and when Ree tried to wash him down, the washcloth got stuck on his scales. She could only go with the grain, so to speak, and that only encouraged little bits of dirt and dried blood to stay underneath. Mitzi helped with that, too, so at least he behaved because of it.

Ree unstopped the drain and started the shower again, rinsing them both off. She lifted Whippy and held him under the spray just to get the stubborn bits of soap out. It was amazing how many little hollows and nooks he had developed after evolving, and she knew he wouldn't rinse properly if she didn't make him. Mitzi giggled near her foot, high-pitched and utterly adorable.

"What she sees in you..." Ree sighed. Whippy cackled gleefully, as if he had won some sort of challenge. She turned him over, making sure she cleaned the leafy ridge down his back, and then shifted him again so she could rinse off his large tail. He coiled around her arm, surprising her, and laid there in the warm water.

"Servine," Whippy told her.

"Is it _still_ too hot?" Ree asked critically. She was already dealing with lukewarm, and it was going to give her and Mitzi pneumonia yet.

But the grass pokémon shook his head. "Vine," he drawled.

"...Okay then. You're done, mister. Out you go." She pulled aside the curtain and set him, dripping, on the lid of the toilet. "Grab a towel and wait there." She turned the temperature back up, sighing in relief. Mitzi cooed, and Ree stooped to pick her up. "Yeah, you know what I'm talking about, don't you? We mammals need the heat sometimes."

"No!" she cheered. Ree cracked a smile. That vocalization would _still_ take some getting used to.

She rinsed Mitzi off and set her in the towel Whippy already had waiting. He pounced on her, scrubbing in a way that could barely pass as drying, and Ree pulled the curtain shut again. Then, a moment later, she opened it back up. "Whippy, once you dry her, go get Harper and Lala. We have the time, so may as well get 'em clean too."

He saluted and padded over to the door. Since he'd evolved, he was tall enough to reach door handles—a trick he delighted in practicing and showing off. She shut the curtain again right as he pulled the door wide open. She thought she heard Tori's squeak of alarm.

He returned but a moment later, pushing the curtain aside to dump Lala into the shower. She shrieked and fought him, nearly tripping up Ree as she jumped and tried to get away from her fighting teammates. Worse, the door was still wide open. Tori hastily slammed it shut, though her blush was impossible to miss.

Then, gently, Whippy set Harper down on the toilet seat. He slithered back over to Mitzi and resumed toweling her off like nothing was wrong.

"Don't you act so smug!" Ree snapped at him. Lala was pressed up against the far end of the tub, fluff hanging like a mass down her back, chest heaving. Ree was likewise out of the water, waiting for it to cool down again. If she had realized that Whippy would simply dump her in there, she wouldn't have had it set to deliciously scalding.

Reaching door handles and carrying not only a squirming Lala in his arms, but (an admittedly obedient) Harper on his tail. She couldn't quite believe it. He was bigger, and stronger. Maybe a hair more mature, too. He had evolved, yes, but Ree was struggling to keep up with how he was acting as a result; he had truly _grown_. As she put her hand under the now-cool water, she cast an eye over her bird. How would Harper change? She was a little quiet and sullen lately, though Ree had chalked it up to being out of the fight.

Ree hosed Lala down. Her whimsicott had calmed after the temperature dropped and she was certain Whippy wasn't crawling in after her, but she still didn't appreciate wet fluff. Ree didn't, either. She pitied whoever cleaned the drains. "Hey, it's better than rinsing puke out of you," Ree murmured, tilting her chin back with a finger. Lala blinked up at her, all big eyes and cuteness. She had almost forgotten that their resident evil genius could even _look_ cute.

"Scott," Lala told her.

"I guess we have a pretty cute team all around. Except Whippy."

"Servine!"

"And Harper took a level in badass when she evolved." Harper fluffed up her feathers, clearly startled by this compliment. "And Mitzi is cute to the nth degree, and you are my devious, precious little imp. And now, you're going to be a devious, precious little imp who smells like violets."

Flower-smelling products seemed to soothe Whippy and Lala, so Ree had been sticking to them more and more. She supposed it was because it was related to plants, but she sort of missed scents like cinnamon and mango. Maybe Whippy would try to eat her if she switched to something sugary. Flowers it was.

Lala eventually relaxed into the wash; she clearly believed she didn't have to lift a paw to help. Ree let her have that one. She knew that she was miffed at the no-battle rule, too, but at least her ban would lift sooner than Harper's. And it didn't involve a cast. She lifted Lala carefully, and she squirmed, but it didn't look like she was in too much pain.

"Whimsicott-cott!" she cried, dismayed at the handling.

"Okay, fine. Rinse time." Ree would feel infinitely better when she had three battling pokémon again instead of two. Lala could even help with Elesa; maybe she could slow the zebstrika, or paralyze an emolga, or simply tip the scales in their favor. But with Scott in Nimbasa, Ree wasn't going to wait around for that. She'd have to muscle through with just Whippy and Mitzi.

She set the dripping ball of whimsicott and cotton on the rug, gesturing for Whippy to get her a new towel. The teen then carefully picked Harper up. She didn't handle her bird too often, scared of hurting her further, and she could tell Harper had noticed. Ree set her down on the edge of the tub like she was made of glass. Birds didn't get full washings, just wipe-downs, since her feathers didn't exactly do well when wet.

"How are you doing, harpy baby?"

"Tranquill," Harper replied.

Ree chuckled. It almost passed as an answer. Harper stretched out her uninjured wing and let Ree wipe it down, running her nails in between the flight feathers, marveling at how long they were. It wasn't fair; she hadn't really gotten to interact with Harper as a pokémon since her evolution. Just as something delicate. The tranquill preened, running her beak along all of the areas Ree washed, and Ree let her do as she pleased. She was usually pretty good at keeping herself clean.

"Maybe this is a bonding thing. Maybe I'm like a simisear and I have to keep everything clean."

"Ser-servine servine," Whippy said airily. Mitzi smacked him with her tail, cheeks puffed out in indignation.

"Uh, right. Out you go, Harper." She set her carefully on the counter, then scratched her under her chin. She cooed, pleased. "Lala, I'll dry you off with the hairdryer once I'm out. Just... sit there until I'm done." Lala, looking like a drowned patrat, nodded dismally.

Maybe it _was_ bonding time. It hardly seemed like Ree spent much time alone with her pokémon anymore. Whippy and Mitzi were either throwing themselves against Elesa or training to do so, and Harper and Lala were out of all of the action. Ree's time was divided between trips to the gym and the moments when Tori dragged her out to do other things. Even eating was a hassle, perpetually on the lookout for Scott, shoveling things in their mouths as quickly as possible to speed up the process of running from him.

It took forty-five minutes for Ree to blow-dry Lala's fluff. She was reminded why she tried not to let Lala get dirty in the first place. Her arms were tired from holding up the blow-dryer, Lala didn't like sitting on a damp towel, and the other three were gladly watching the too-loud TV and ignored their plight. It looked like another colorful cartoon. Were pokémon supposed to like cartoons? Aubie never cared for television, much less cartoons.

"If I just... We could catch another teammate from around here. It could get us an advantage over Elesa," she murmured. Lala looked up sharply, her round features drawn into a fierce scowl. "What? I'm serious. We have to get out of here soon. We could borrow Duva from Tori..."

"Not happening. Elesa would know in a heartbeat," Tori said at once, demonstrating that she was listening.

Ree shifted the blow-dryer to her other hand and (hopefully) finished up a patch of fluff on Lala's collar. "Elesa can go fuck herself, Tori. I'm getting frustrated and I—we—have to get out of Nimbasa. I don't like being this close to Scott."

She sighed and shut her magazine. "You could, you know... _Talk_ to him. You're not showing yet."

She huffed. Harry had said the same thing. Why could no one understand that she didn't want to see him? It was completely unrelated to the pregnancy. ...Okay, it wasn't, but showing or not showing wasn't the issue. "I. _Don't_. Want. To see him."

"You could write him a note. It wouldn't be that hard to give it to him. Don't give me that look, _I_ could give it to him—it'd be in his backpack or pocket and he'd be none the wiser for it," Tori said.

"Tori, yoga enthusiast, skilled trainer, and now, master pickpocket! Therapist for all unwed teenage mothers!" She colored at the words, and Ree couldn't hold back a grin. "Thanks, but no. That'd only encourage him."

"So you just want him to give up and go away?"

"It'd be easiest."

"...Ree." Oh, there it was. _That_ tone of voice. The mothering, conservative, concerned tone. "You haven't seen him for about a month now, right?"

"A little more."

"And if you _don't_ see him for the next eight or so months, he's definitely going to give up at some point. I don't think anyone's that devoted to a relationship without some answers, which you're not giving him."

"It's _my_ secret to keep."

Tori sighed in a manner that was far too old for her. It made Ree a little nervous. "I'm not going to argue with you, but I _will_ point out that genetically, half of that is his. So, half his problem. Technically. Moving on! He'll give up at some point, maybe soon, maybe in another month or three. The point is... Ree, if his girlfriend ran away from him, even using training as an excuse, and he couldn't talk to her for several months? That's not a relationship."

She froze up, hand clenched tightly around the blow-dryer. She had been desperately ignoring that potential problem. Lala looked up at her, eyes narrowed in scrutiny, and then looked over at Tori. Then back again to her trainer's face.

"Would _you_ stay with him if he ran away and refused to talk to you for nine months?" Tori asked softly.

-.-.-

"No, bad Vince. No. Bad." He had an arm around his gigalith's neck, keeping him from lunging at the golurk. Another meal with no gravel for him to eat because of it. "Sorry, he's a little excitable at times. Come _on_, Vince."

"It's not a problem," the golurk's trainer replied, looking at them curiously.

Scott got Vince wrestled over to their lunch table. Naturally, the rest of his pokémon hadn't done a thing to help him. Typical. He would have sabotaged their meals in retaliation, but that only would have led to chaos and eventual mutiny. Some things were sacred on a training journey, and food was one of them. "Yorick, you're sure Ree's scent is in the center, right?"

"Stou!" he agreed firmly.

"It's going to be difficult to tell when she's moved on, but hopefully Elesa will keep stonewalling her," Scott mumbled, stabbing at his pasta salad. "So we know she's visiting the gym and here regularly, but between the two of them, it's going to be hard to catch her. We have no chance of finding her out in the city. Too many people and too much space."

Rocio nosed into his shoulder, snuffling at his shirt. He sighed and lifted his fork. She ate the pasta off with a pleased sound. "Scoli?"

"Yeah, it's just a matter of time. Though I wish I knew how she suddenly developed ninja skills. She's harder to spot than a kecleon. And her height would be that stripe... Yeah. But how the hell does a girl that tall manage to hide herself in a crowd like it's nothing?" His forehead made contact with the table and he gladly laid there. He heard Rocio digging into his pasta salad beside him. "You're going to get fat."

"Pede!" she replied and smacked him with an antenna, then turned back to his meal.

"Krookodile," Vince interjected, offering his trainer a piece of some sort of raw meat.

"No thanks. I'm fine. Let me just wallow for another twenty seconds. Then we can go back to the noble quest of trying to find our princess before she ends up in _another_ goddamn castle."

He didn't get his twenty seconds of wallowing, since his phone went off. It took him a moment to place the ringtone; it had been so long since he had last heard the _Mortal Kombat _theme.

Scott stared at his phone, processing. That was Ree's ringtone. 'Ree Majors' was flashing on the screen. Wait—_Ree was calling him_.

He was in such a rush to grab his phone that he fumbled it and it fell to the ground. Scott was unashamed to say that he dove for it without a second thought—upsetting Rocio's meal of his meal and hitting his head on the table, but he got it before it went to voice mail. "Hello?"

"Hi, Scottie." And wow, just like that, they were talking again. He tried to pretend his heart didn't flutter in a decidedly maidenly fashion. Mission failed. "How have you been?"

"I..." For a brief moment, he thought about simply having this conversation. No questions, just chatting, nice and innocent and zero chance of chasing her off again. But then he remembered tracking her through the forest, through Castelia, through that desert. He couldn't do it. So Scott braced himself and asked, "Ree, why are you avoiding me?"

"...I'm just training pokémon. No avoidance," she said, entirely too innocent. He saw through that in less than a second.

"And the reason why you wouldn't want your super amazingly talented _experienced_ boyfriend helping you with that is because...?"

"I already have a traveling companion. I don't want a whole troop. And you were, you know, busy with band things and your stuff and... You didn't have to follow me." She sounded accusatory, and that didn't sit well with him. He reigned his annoyance back in before damage could be done; Scott adopted a policy of diplomacy.

"I wanted to know why you're doing this. And pokémon are cool! Can't I show some interest when you take up the mantle for the first time since I've met you?"

"But it's not my first time ever!" Ree said, leaping upon that subject. "It's not all that novel, promise. Quite boring. Not exciting in the least."

"Can't I want to spend time with you? I'm not trying to drag you back. I'd be fine being out of the house for awhile. We could even head over to Undella together and stay with Dad for awhile."

"There aren't any official gyms there."

"You're allowed to take breaks. There's no time limit on getting badges. Hell, I could pick up back where I left off and the ones I already have are no less valid," Scott told her matter-of-factly.

Ree didn't reply.

"Are you racing someone?" he asked, suspicious of her silence. Gym circuit races weren't terribly uncommon, and, in his opinion, they were massively stupid. Although they were usually suited to the rich, the bored, and the offensively immature.

"Racing?"

"Nevermind. Surely you aren't too busy to meet up with me for lunch or dinner or something. We're in the same area and everything. We haven't had a cutesy date like that in ages, right?" he asked, shamelessly playing on her secret love of cheesy romance.

"I have plans today, sorry."

"I'm free tomorrow. Picking up training again freed up a _lot_ of my time in the near future."

"I'm on a pretty hardcore training regimen right now. In all honesty, Elesa's a bitch."

"Ha." Scott had taken her on with a team consisting of a rock and a ground type. He hadn't remembered her as any kind of challenge. "I mean—I'm sorry. I could help you through, you know. Nigel would love to be on your team for a couple hours—"

"I've already had an offer of another pokémon," Ree cut him off, voice flat, "and Elesa has a personal hatred for me at this point. She'd likely kick me out of the gym if I tried."

"Can't hate me for trying..." he mumbled and she grunted. "So... Are we seriously doing this?"

"Doing what?" she asked, clearly panicked. That in turn set off alarm bells in his head. He did _not_ want to be doing this in a room full of people.

"I-I meant—you're not letting me see you? How long does this embargo last? A-Are you mad at me? What about Maya, she's been really worried about you—"

"Scottie! Please. Stop."

"No, I just—fuck, Ree, oh hell." Scott turned from the bulk of the room and buried his face in Vince's shoulder. The gigalith pressed his snout against the top of his head, lightly for once. "...Please tell me we're not breaking up. _Please_ tell me you didn't just dump me via running away and picking up pokémon."

"No!" Her response was knee-jerk, quick and forceful. Scott let out a ragged breath. It was the first time he'd really mentioned the possibility aloud, fearful of acknowledging it, but to have it shot down so fast lifted a great weight off his shoulders. It was one thing to be confused, lost, and annoyed when dealing with his girlfriend. It was quite another to be confused, lost, and heartbroken when becoming single.

"So... _why_?"

"Don't ask me that. This is just something I want—have to—do alone. I want to stand on my own for this. Please understand that." She had tears in her voice and that did no favors for his own mood.

"...But why?"

"I love you, Scott Felton, just remember that. Please don't hate me for this." Oh, he had definitely made her cry.

And she'd just hung up on him.

He knew it would be futile to try calling her back; when she hung up due to emotion, she'd be out of commission for quite awhile. Scott sighed against Vince's shoulder. _Now_ what was he supposed to do?

She had never told him to stop following her. She had never said he couldn't continue to follow her. She also never said what her goal was, though he assumed it was for the eight badges. What would happen if he _did_ catch up to her? He had no idea why she'd up and run. It wasn't like she hadn't gotten into trouble before—boy, had she gotten into some _trouble_ in the past—but he had always been let in on it. If he hadn't helped to start it to begin with.

The sudden, jarring disconnect worried him. Training was fun and he had initially been excited when Ree had picked up training. It could have been an adventure for the both of them. He could have showed her the places where he had caught his team, they could have holed up in the desert together, he'd be there to help with her team and give her advice on the challenges he had already faced. But now, after seeing how she consistently avoided him and what lengths she was going to in order to continue that...

"Gigalith," Vince murmured and licked the side of his head. Scott chuckled.

"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind."

-.-.-

"Happy now?" Ree asked, unable to help the irritation in her voice. She threw her phone on the bed. Lala had miraculously stayed in her lap during the entire phone call. She wasn't sure how much her whimsicott understood, but it almost seemed like she was showing some sort of support for her trainer.

"I'm sorry, but... You don't want to break up, do you? I don't want this to break you two up," Tori replied, anguished. She twisted and knotted her sash, but didn't move toward Ree.

Ree pressed the heels of her palms into her eyes. She calmed her breathing after a couple moments. She wasn't really a crier, but she could excuse this time due to stress. Maybe hormones. She had a feeling she was using her hormones as an excuse for certain poor life choices and awkward emotional reactions, but at least it was an excuse no one would call her on.

"No. I don't want to break up," she whispered.

-.-.-

Ree had not only one, but two strokes of luck.

The first was purely luck; Mitzi incapacitated the male emolga as per usual, fairly easily, and the second one missed a critical moment of time for an attack, and as a result, she won with less effort than usual. She managed to leap at the zebstrika and tickle it, catching it off guard and gaining an early advantage, but the close range lent itself too easily to electric attacks.

The second stroke of luck was only a small part actual luck and was honestly more of a surprise gift. Lala, though she couldn't battle with them, seemed to have lent Whippy her knack for evil (and unexpected) strategies. Ree hadn't known she had been talking to her battlers, and nearly had a heart attack when Whippy, leading the zebstrika with its flaming hooves, jumped off of the platform.

The zebstrika skidded to a halt at the edge, teetering and whinnying in alarm. Even Elesa jumped at the suddenness.

The vine whip snaked its way around its legs, now covered in ash but no longer on fire, and _pulled_.

The zebstrika fell off the field with a shriek. Whippy peeked up from the edge, eyes bright in the neon light, and then crawled back up onto solid ground. Elesa raced to the edge, calling after her pokémon, and Ree dragged Whippy into the middle, patting him down and making sure he was okay. "Servine!" he said. He had sustained a couple burns but was in better condition than most of the battles left him in.

"Did he just... Was he _hanging_ under the edge?" Tori asked, jaw hanging open.

"...Oh my shit, he was. Are you part galvantula now?"

"The two of you... I can't believe I've had both of my zebstrika fall off the platform." The girls looked guilty as Elesa approached them. But then—Ree realized that she had just _won_ that battle. "Thankfully, no broken legs, but I'm going to install an electric fence if that happens again. Ugh."

"An electric fence would just be mean," Tori retorted.

"Throwing my pokémon down to the floor is rather mean," the gym leader replied. Ree stood up, cradling Whippy in her arms. He languished, boneless and pleased, and took the attention as if he was owed it. "I hadn't expected a tactic like that. I'll allow it. Also, I'm really tired of seeing you in this gym."

"Oh no you don't—you're not pretending that this is a pity win. I won this fair and square."

Elesa smiled thinly. "I am beyond caring. I think you'll agree with me on that."

"...Yeah. I'm so tired of the neon in here. If I need glasses, I'm suing you. Give me my badge."

"Congrats. And if you throw up in my gym any more, you're cleaning it. I've already had one janitor resign."

Ree thought about it, but she hadn't eaten much and her stomach was fairly settled after getting off the roller coaster. Maybe on the way back. Elesa fished a pretty, sharp badge out of her pocket. Ree held it up; it looked overly orange in the reddish light overhead. Four badges. Halfway there. And she'd never have to battle an emolga or zebstrika for another.

That last part made her the happiest. She wondered if that was sad.

"Halfway there. Fucking _finally_!" Ree allowed herself a whoop and Tori threw her arms around her. They hopped and danced on the spot, half gloating and half celebrating.

Elesa's smile finally looked amused. "Yes, halfway done with the gym circuit. Do have fun with the second half. Please."

"That sounds ominous," Tori muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing official and if you try to tell anyone I said anything I'll deny it all," she said with obvious glee, waving them off. "But let's just say Unova runs things a bit differently. We won't be having the same issue as Sinnoh any time soon."

"The homicidal cult following or the gym leaders being taken out? Because you sure acted spooked that one time," Tori said, tone cold.

"Wait—cult, what?"

"Our gym circuit is different. That's it. All regions have their own twist on things," Elesa said innocently, ignoring Ree. "Give my regards to Clay, if you make it that far."

"Isn't he the next gym?" Tori wrinkled her nose in confusion.

"What are you trying to say about us, huh?!" Ree added.

"Goodbye, ladies. Good luck with your journeys," Elesa said enigmatically, and she wouldn't say anything more about it. Pretty ominous, but she could just have been a sore loser and was trying to psych them out. Ree wouldn't put it past her.

"Bitch."

And with that, they left Nimbasa gym for the last time. Ree was only feeling slightly queasy from the ride back—was it her imagination, or had it been slower than usual?—so she didn't even leave Elesa a parting gift. Pity. They were hardly a block from the gym before they collapsed into giggles and hugging and jumping and squealing again, and Ree pulled her badge out of her pocket to look at in the natural light.

"I'm always so surprised at how pretty they are. I've seen a couple pictures of other regions' badges, and they're nothing like ours," Tori said, pulling out her own badge case. All four of hers glittered in the sunlight, though her bolt badge was a little smudged from all the handling.

"This almost looks like real gold, too," Ree said, bringing hers in closer to examine it. "And some sort of gemstone... Maybe amber for the orange part, I dunno. Wonder how they make 'em look so _gorgeous_ though! Yes, I've never seen such a beautiful badge as you!" And she kissed it.

"Haha, real gold in the trinkets they hand out to trainers. No wonder Elesa didn't want to hand it over to you!"

"Hey, stop laughing. It just looks like it, okay? Let me heap praise upon it in peace, woman."

As they neared the center, Ree adopted one of her disguises. Tori handed her her sash; she wrapped it around her head like a scarf, and then shoved a large pair of sunglasses on her nose. It wasn't their best one, but Ree hadn't felt like dressing up. She had just wanted to get out of the same building as Scott. If she would have known that that was the last time she challenged Elesa _ever_, maybe she would have dressed up a bit.

By stooping and using Tori as a cover—Scott had never seen her, and as far as she knew, didn't know she had left Harry and Kev—they stole their way across the lobby and down the hall. She hadn't even seen him in the lobby, though.

"Now we can leave Nim-baaaa-sa!" Ree sang as soon as their room door was closed.

"It's early enough that we can get a good head start, too!" Tori was cheerful, too, which pleased Ree in turn. She didn't want another argument about Scott. She was _very_ glad that Tori had no problem with leaving him here. "Here, toss me Mitzi and Whippy. I'll go heal them while you pack."

"What are you saying?"

Tori looked pointedly at Ree's half of the room. It looked like a war zone. Tori's, on the other hand, was neat (though her bed wasn't made) and more or less in one little area.

"...Fine."

Tori left with her pokeballs and left Riddick in the room to start packing her things. Ree couldn't imagine having a pokémon help her with something like that, even her starter. ...Especially her starter. Things would only end up messier. But the scrafty was _folding_, by god, she needed to get Tori to teach her team that.

Ree let out Harper and Lala, excitedly showing them the badge. Harper nodded and cooed and looked prim and proud—Lala whooped and jumped up and down and stole it. She was out the room door before Ree could stop her.

"I _really _hope she comes back with that."

It was a testament to Ree's good mood that she didn't give chase or distrust her whimsicott. She scratched Harper and stooped down, pulling a bra and a sock out from under the bed. She didn't fold her clothes so much as stuff them, but they'd get wrinkled on the road anyway, so why bother?

She was nearly done by the time her companion came back, luckily with Lala in tow. Whippy and Mitzi were both out of their balls, and Whippy and Lala were talking excitedly, passing the badge back and forth between them. Mitzi was in Tori's arms, looking a little miffed a the pair of them. "Goodness, I nearly had a heart attack when Lala came and found us. What was she doing out?"

"Apparently, she wanted to talk to her conspirator."

"With your badge?"

"I think she was the one who gave Whippy that idea. She must be proud of it working. How the hell do you get Riddick to _fold_ your clothes?" Ree asked crossly. The fighter paused, startled at being noticed, a pair of Tori's underwear in his hands.

Tori irritably grabbed it from his grasp, red-faced. "It's—I've known him awhile, and we used to live at home. He'd help me with my chores." She stuffed the panties into the bag and out of sight. Ree tried not to grin. "D-Do you have everything you need?"

"I think so. I already emptied the bathroom but you can double-check."

The other trainer kept looking at Ree expectantly. "Nothing else?"

Ree looked about the room. She didn't see anything of hers. "Uhh, no?"

"You can't remember anything else you might have forgotten...?"

"Tori, I'm not going to tell Scott bye or anything. He has a higher chance of catching me out on the route, and the bigger head start I have, the happier I'll—"

"The necklace," Tori interrupted, voice flat.

"...What?"

"The necklace you wanted from that store. The silver one with the key pendant."

It took a couple moments for the light bulb to go off in her head. "Oh _shit_!"

She practically ran to the store. The necklace was still on hold, and thanks to the down payment she had made earlier, she could afford it. It taxed her funds but she felt bad backing out. And it was supposed to be her birthday present. Just because all the drama had ruined the day didn't mean she couldn't have _some_ fond memory of it.

They stopped at one of the local libraries and Ree went through the exchange shelves, looking for something to swap for. Tori watched her like a braviary and as tempting as it was to pick up some new smut, it didn't look like there was anything good there. She'd have to go without.

There was, however, a naming book.

Ree took it off the shelf, looking at the worn cover. Decent size, she thought, and she had been meaning to get one since before Castelia. It would be handy for future teammates. ...And maybe in the future.

She put her romance novel on the shelf and took the naming book. Tori pretended she hadn't noticed and looked at the cheap book shelves instead. She picked off _Raw Heat: Why Specialists Are A Dying Breed_ and thumbed through it, eyebrows raised. Ree figured she had a couple more minutes to peruse.

Ree stowed _An Idiot's Guide To Naming_ and crouched down next to the tiny horror section. There wasn't much there. Sneaking a glance back to make sure her companion was busy, she shuffled back over to the romance section. Still pretty pathetic, but it was free. She snuck one into her backpack before Tori turned back around. "Say, Ree, have you ever come across a specialized trainer other than a gym leader?"

"I dunno. I don't remember every trainer I come across. Wait—I mean, besides my sister—but I haven't seen her in awhile—don't tell her I forgot about her."

"Your sister specializes?" Tori asked curiously.

Still red, Ree nodded. "Y-Yeah. She's a grass trainer."

"Aww, is that why you got a snivy?"

"Kinda, yeah..."

"That's so cute!"

Two new books for Ree and she managed to talk Tori into getting an old paperback edition of _The Frozen Fairy_ as well. She idly played with her necklace, forgetting how much fun it could be; she hadn't brought one with her, and it was nice to have jewelry again. Aside from her earrings, but she had had those the entire time. She decided to play with them, too. Maybe she could get more.

New jewelry and books after every badge? That sounded like a good incentive. A time limit wasn't enough, especially not since she was doing so well with it. Ree liked spoiling herself. She could even get her pokémon things, too! Mitzi would probably like jewelry, and she could have a little ring on her tail, and Whippy had liked that top hat in Castelia...

"I'm done!" Tori chirped, jarring her out of her imaginings. "You sure you're stocked up?"

"As well as I'm gonna be. Shall we get on with this train wreck?"

"Oh, come on. Let's have some optimism." She frowned and sat down on the bench next to Ree, opening her backpack. She carefully rearranged everything to make room, putting a couple things into item capsules, and only when she was convinced it was perfect did she zip it back up. "Aren't you glad to be on the road again?"

"Oh _yeah_, I'm so looking forward to pissing in a bush again."

Tori blushed lightly. "You're the one in a hurry. If it were just me, I could spend another week here just... I don't know. Shopping and going to the amusement park. I meant to get something fashion-y for my mom here, too, but it didn't happen..."

"We could still go shopping," Ree offered.

"Oh, no. Thanks, but no." She jiggled her bag. "I'm a little low on money, and I'm sorry, I was just... I don't know. I'm not used to being in such a classy city."

Ree couldn't help but snort. "Nimbasa is classy? Yeah, right. They're just high and mighty because they have the amusement park and the stadium and all of the models and fashion and stuff—but remember, Castelia has Burgh, so that has fancy things, too."

"The gym leader doesn't make the city, Ree."

"They definitely influence it."

"Okay, I'll give you that one. Still... Some time, we should come back here when we don't have to worry about Elesa. Go shopping in the high fashion areas and just have a small break. I mean, if that's okay! You're doing pretty well on time, aren't you?"

Ree glanced down at her stomach. "Yeah, I'm doing good on time." Four badges, four pokémon, less than seven months to go.

-.-.-

That evening, Scott found a folded up note in his jeans pocket. "What the...? Where did this come from?" Vince was all over it, sniffing and slobbering, and he held it high out of reach of his gigalith. "Down! Let me at least read it first. It could be a treasure map or something."

It turned out to be better than a treasure map.

"_Dear Ree's Boyfriend, _

_Ree loves you very much and you should know that. She is leaving Nimbasa today and you should not give up on chasing her. Please, do not ask her why she is doing this, and do not hate her for keeping it a secret, but do not give up on her._"

It was in a curly, feminine script, but definitely not Ree's handwriting. He turned it over a couple times, wondering whose it was, but it was clearly for him. Ree (hopefully) didn't have any other boyfriends.

"...The plot thickens," Scott mused.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Oooh, Tori's been a bad girl. ...Or maybe not. After all, it's not like Ree wants to suddenly become single again, but if this means Scott does catch up with her, how understanding will she be of that? Either way, our trainers are on the road again, Ree has another shiny trinket, and nothing could possibly go wrong!


	21. Of Perdition

"So how many was—"

"Shut up Scott."

Ree opened up the start menu and glared at her last save file. She'd lose over an hour of exploring the Wasteland. But one of her companion characters had just died, and his death was permanent unless she rebooted.

"At least you know the area now. You can get through it all again," Scott said, kinder this time.

She jabbed the button and loaded it up. Over an hour, poof, gone. Just like that. She had taken out two raider camps and a deathclaw—that had better have been a random occurrence, she had barely scraped by on that—and she'd lost count of how many new areas she had discovered. ...She really should have saved after the deathclaw.

"I just... Goddamnit, Dogmeat, why did you have to die?!"

"He was protecting your ass, remember."

"Shut up."

"...So how many was that?"

Ree opened up her inventory screen and saw what she had started with. "...Four hundred bullets."

Scott barely contained a chuckle, hand over his mouth. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "Well, you got your puppy back. Just don't let him die again, okay?"

"I didn't _let_ him die! He ran off to go bite things' faces! In the name of looting!"

"And you traipsed after him, reinforcing his behavior, until it got you all into a mess. Just don't go killing everything."

"I'll go on a murderous rampage if I want to," Ree muttered and did just that, her game character's (revived) canine happily following her.

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty-One**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Perdition

-.-.-

"See, it's totally light enough to read by."

"I don't know... I don't think this is too good for our eyes."

"Well, reading is good for your mind. It helps to wind down after a long day. And it can be highly informative." Ree scribbled down another name into her notebook.

Tori looked over her shoulder at it. "How many is that now?"

"Uh, seven. It's easier finding guy names I like than girl ones, but I have a fifty-fifty shot on most pokémon, at least." They had an ingenious set-up, if Ree said so herself. They had managed to wedge one of their flashlights in a branch above them and angled themselves _just_ right so they could get some firelight too. Ree had read under far worse conditions, but Tori didn't seem so happy with the situation.

"I'm at a chapter end... I think I'm going to stop for the night." Tori placed her bookmark and got up, stretching. Her shoulders popped. Ree sighed and flipped a page; some people just weren't dedicated readers.

"What do you think of Mathis as a name?"

"I don't know, I've never really liked naming pokémon too-human names. Seems kind of weird at times."

"Your cubchoo is named Cole."

"It's like cold, right? And that's a little different. I never said I didn't see _why_ trainers did it, just that most of the time, it's a little strange," Tori sniffed.

Ree finished looking through the M's and turned in for the night, too. Her eyes _were_ a little tired. Mitzi and Whippy were already sleeping, curled up in each other, but Harper and Lala were still up. "Come on guys," she whispered, beckoning her whimsicott over, "time for sleep. Back to a trainer's sleep schedule."

"Whim..." Lala replied, glancing out into the dark forest.

"We'll be okay. C'mon, sleepy time." She carefully pushed Whippy and Mitzi out of the direct center of her sleeping bag, and then slithered in underneath them. Lala gingerly laid down near her shoulder, burying her face in her sleep shirt. Ree held out her hand and Harper hopped onto it, and she set her down next to her pillow. She was still worried about handling her bird, but she didn't seem to mind it, at least.

As she fell asleep, Ree wondered if she was being too careful with Harper.

-.-.-

Ree fought with her sleeping bag and ended up kicking Whippy (who'd tangled himself around her legs, inside the sleeping bag, at some point that morning) and flinging Mitzi (who was curled like a hot, furry necklace around her neck) and _damn_ she really had to pee. She nearly tripped over Lala (the only dignified one awake; or so she'd thought until Ree stumbled over her) on her way to the nearest convenient bush.

Harper continued to sleep soundly.

Tori, in the middle of doing her morning yoga, rolled her eyes. It was back to the traveling habits. Ree would try to sleep in, but a mixture of early morning sunlight and her own abused bladder would put a stop to that, and she would flail about while loudly lamenting the lack of plumbing.

"Goddamnit, I just want to take a piss in peace!" Ree shrieked as a pair of pidove screeched at her for disrupting them.

Tori shook her head. "Language, Ree."

"Whimsi, scott!" Lala echoed, in a rather good imitation. Tori arched an eyebrow. Lala put a hand on her hip and with an overly exaggerated shake, strutted off in her trainer's direction.

They ate breakfast—a mix of leftovers from the night before and a couple of energy bars—and got on their way. As usual. By mid morning Ree was tired of trying to reign Lala in and let her roam with the other two, though she strictly enforced the no battling policy. She was moving and up and about as well as she could, and Ree had a sneaking suspicion that she had been using her grass moves to help speed up her recovery.

Harper rode on her trainer's shoulder, her injured wing near Ree's ear. She preened in the sunlight and occasionally stretched her good wing, calling to wild pokémon, sometimes admonishing Lala when she tried to be mischievous. Ree was incredibly grateful that her team was helping police Lala; though she was the trainer, she couldn't be everywhere at once. Whippy and Mitzi enjoyed traveling again as well, running amok in the new territory.

"It's okay, Corina. You can fly if you want," Tori murmured, soothing her ducklett in her arms. She hadn't wanted to stray too far, and Ree couldn't help but wonder if she was scared of what had happened to Harper. It was understandable. She was young, and she had been close to Harper when it'd happened. Not to mention the fact that ducklett were officially considered consumable pokémon; hopefully the other bird didn't know that.

Ree suddenly wondered if any of her pokémon knew their status on that list. Hopefully they didn't. Then again, Harper very likely did, and they had passed minccino pelts in Castelia and Nimbasa alike. She'd seen servine and even serperior skin boots and belts before in stores, and surely whimsicott were valuable for more than their cotton-like fluff.

She felt sick. Having pokémon for this long of a stretch changed her perspective on things. It wasn't like she'd do something drastic like join Team Plasma or anything, but it was something to think about. It wasn't as if humans were at the top of the food chain, granted; plenty of larger pokémon regularly tried to eat humans, if given the chance. Several more species were naturally aggressive towards them, even if they didn't outright eat them. But her pokémon were small and cute and young.

"Tranquill," Harper said primly, leaning up against the side of Ree's head. It jarred her out of her thoughts. Corina flapped into the air with a nervous, breathy quack.

"Yeah, we'll be okay. Next gym is... uhh..."

"Driftveil," Tori supplied.

"Yeah. That one. Number five, hell yeah."

"Language."

Ree sighed. "And you'd been doing so well, too."

Tori looked up at her, eyes hard. "I could say the same for you."

She shrugged and dug out a book. Walking and reading wasn't a terribly difficult skill, and school had allowed Ree to perfect it. At least, walking and reading on the way to class or in hallways wasn't bad. On a dirt road with roots and rocks and potholes and bushes and branches and a baseball bat banging against her leg—not so much.

She persevered. She was now reading the romance novel she'd picked up, and figured the cover was innocent enough to buy her some time. Pretty standard plot so far, but she was only a chapter in, and willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. And it wasn't like she had much else to do. While she and Tori got along well, they would drive each other crazy if they talked all day long.

So they walked in the general vicinity of each other. Tori kept an eye on Corina, occasionally calling her down to talk to her or have her refill their water bottles, and she kept Duvamalkin and Cole in their pokeballs. After they stopped for an early lunch, she relented and let them travel out with them too. It wasn't like they were traveling very fast, so a cubchoo and an excadrill were no tax on their speed.

Ree kept an ear open for cries of distress from her pokémon, but otherwise kept her nose buried in her book. Harper had taken to acting as a radar, of sorts; she'd have a certain short, high chirp that'd inform Ree to duck, and two of those to inform her of something low to step over. It didn't take her long to catch onto the code, either.

Harper chirped once, and Ree started to duck, and then again. She stepped higher. She chirped a third time—and Ree turned to look at her, as best she could. The brunette ended up walking into both a branch and a bush. Harper had fallen off as she toppled into it headfirst, and Tori ended up having to fish them both out. Whippy and Lala collapsed into hysterical laughter when they found out why their trainer was shouting so badly. Mitzi acted a little more helpful, at least.

"Yeah, yuck it up, you two. I don't see you—"

There was a gunshot.

It was far-off, barely audible. Ree and Tori both stiffened and the laughter died at once.

"How far—"

"It was on the other side of Nimbasa." Where they had been. "It had to have been," Tori said, voice tight. Corina dropped from the sky into her arms like a rock, shivering. "It was far away," she added, though to her ducklett or companion, it was impossible to tell.

Harper looked up at Ree with an unreadable expression. Ree calmed her heart and returned her tranquill. After a pause, she returned Lala, too. She was getting too active, and she didn't want her re-injuring herself while in the middle of a route. They were just traveling. Whippy and Mitzi would be okay, as well as Riddick and Duvamalkin as guards.

Traveling wasn't as fun or warm after that. They didn't hear any more gunshots, which Ree was thankful for, but she hadn't expected to react that way to it. Yes, pokémon hunting was legal in some areas with proper permits, and it was more common near some key areas, like forested areas by large cities. Yes, it had been an accident. But it had still put her down a pokémon and had shaken her faith in training.

"...Are you gonna be okay?" Tori asked quietly, after they had put more distance between themselves and the sound.

Ree nodded. "I think so."

They broke out of the forest briefly and saw the sea, twinkling happily in the sunlight. Driftveil Drawbridge was visible in the distance, rust red against the blue of the water and the sky. This boosted their mood again; they chatted for awhile about sightseeing around Unova, and what each of them had and hadn't seen.

Tori elaborated a little bit on what it was like to live in the remote Anville Town, and Ree shared things she'd seen in her semi-regular trips to Castelia. Small town girl met girl from the suburbs—even if she was trying to act like a city gal—and it led to some interesting stories.

"No, no, I promise! Bouffalant sleep laying down—you can't tip them!" Tori insisted between giggles.

"But a famous myth like that—it has to have some sort of basis in fact! Things don't just spring up out of nowhere!" Ree maintained, crossing her arms. Whippy ran ahead of the path in front of them, cackling, Mitzi on his tail. She could have sworn she saw Riddick roll his eyes at them.

"Look, my friend worked on one of the ranches south of Anville. I've seen them laying down at night. It's just a myth!" The pokémon disappeared into the trees, startling a nest of pidove and tranquill.

"Then _what_ started it?"

"I don't know, it's just... one of those things. I thought casteliacones used real vanilluxe ice to make their stuff for the longest time," she admitted, cheeks pink. Ree burst out laughing. "I'm serious! I don't know how that one started, since I've never actually seen it advertised like that anywhere, but things like this spring up all the time! It's just how culture works, or something."

"No, that's just—I've never heard of that before, though! Everyone's heard of bouffalant tipping. Even tauros tipping, and miltank tipping. It's just a thing they do."

Tori put her hand to her chin, tapping her lip, thinking hard. "It might have started as a practical joke, then. Years and years ago. And it spread."

"I don't think things work that way, either."

She smiled, widely, then quickly hid it with her fingers. "You don't? Say, Ree, do you ever want to go snipe hunting with me? They make _great_ pokémon."

"What type are they?" For some reason, that had Tori laughing again, and Ree couldn't quite figure out why. It was probably another pokémon weak to electricity.

Tori wouldn't let her know what the joke was, so Ree eventually returned to reading. It wasn't as easy without the Harper radar. The story was getting good, though; and she caught Tori glancing at the cover more than once, clearly trying to process what kind of book it was. She didn't want any judgment for her choices. She read a little faster.

Whippy showed back up with a dead patrat, showing it off to the girls. Ree gave noncommittal congratulations on his kill; Tori made a face. Riddick gladly took it from him and showed a lot more praise, which had the servine more than pleased. Ree _really_ hoped it didn't mean Whippy would show up with more dead stuff for the scrafty.

There was a scream. Whippy dropped the patrat, and after one brief pause, shot off into the forest. Ree tilted her head and listened, but there weren't any following sounds. A couple of the wild pokémon in the area acted startled at it, but it hadn't sounded like it was anything local or anything—

Riddick running into the forest, hauling his pants up around his waist to try not to trip, is what set the two trainers off.

"Ree, _Ree_! Wait for me!" Tori all but begged. Ree had longer legs and was better suited for sprints, though; the scrafty got caught in a tangle of low branches and Ree lost Tori when she tried to help her fighter out.

She had little sense of direction, only a vague notion of _go right, follow where Whippy went_, but there was a softer, angrier snarl that could be heard. It was closer. Ree wasn't sure when she had pulled Sophia out of her belt loop but when she caught sight of Whippy at last, she was glad she did.

_No, not again, not another—_

A young man, a long knife, a string of silver pelts on the ground beside him. The heavy smell of copper hung in the air, assaulting her like a physical thing. Blood. Whippy stood at the edge of the thicket, frozen aside from his quivering tail, eyes huge but pupils slits. At the man's feet was another, smaller bundle, silver fur standing out against the grass and the red. She struggled to process that, process why Whippy wasn't fighting, why he was staring so rigidly. Why the smell of this blood was off-putting to her. Why that little silver bundle wasn't moving.

_Not again._

She wasn't sure when she had started moving again. She distantly heard Tori crashing through the forest, somewhere so very far away. Ree vaulted over Whippy and her grip tightened painfully on the metal bat—she had to do something, she had to _do something_, and that's all that she could process.

The sound of the metal bat against his head was very satisfying. The second blow, which resulted in a _crunch_, was doubly so. Her vision blurred by the third blow.

There was another scream and Ree braced herself against the ground, expecting it when Tori hit her and fought for possession of the bat. "Stop it, Ree, _stop_ it—!"

"That better not have fucking been Mitzi!" she screamed, voice too high, and Tori tripped her up. They both went sprawling in the bloody grass, fighting for Sophia, using nails and elbows and teeth. Ree saw a blur of orange out of the corner of her eye, and then an agonized shout. Their heads snapped around to find Riddick stepping down on the man's elbow, pulling up on his fingers. His hand was already broken.

"Riddick, _no_!" All at once she was off of Ree, pulling her fighter away, shaking with loud sobs. Ree turned and scrambled for Sophia, pulling her up again and getting a good, if awkward, swing at the man's leg. Tori shouted something wordless at her, arms tight around Riddick, but Ree temporarily had free reign.

Free reign turned out to be bloody.

She lost count of how many times she hit him. She missed at least twice, vision too blurry to see properly, and he had stopped making sounds. She heard Whippy at some point, and Tori saying things to Riddick, but she hadn't heard Mitzi come running into the scene to see what all the noise was about. Because surely she'd heard them, she would come reunite with them at any moment...

"What's going—oh my god, _Ree_!" Next thing she knew, she had strong arms wrapped around her, pinning her own arms to her sides. She thrashed and tried to kick, but failed. "Tranjero, take that from her!" Sophia was wrenched from her grasp and she recognized the voice, though she still couldn't see him.

"Where were you when we _needed_ you?!" Tori cried, voice cracking.

"I..." Ree slumped in Allen's arms. He let out a shaky breath, hot against the back of her neck. "Shit, I'm so sorry. Oh my god..." He sounded like how she felt: wrecked and drained.

She turned her head and saw Whippy standing next to her fallen backpack, her phone in his claws. His eyes were on the dead minccino. It was seeing him, not Mitzi, that brought it home. He would never look like that unless it _was_ Mitzi lying there, about to be skinned. Ree collapsed into sobbing.

-.-.-

"Ree? Ree, look at me." Allen tilted her chin back with one finger. "How many fingers?"

"Three?"

He quickly put up a third finger. "Okay, close enough. Do you know where you are?"

"Ye—Hospital," she replied thickly.

"Do you remember what happened?"

She blinked rapidly, trying to beat back the tears. Her memory was blurry around the edges and she still felt sleepy and numbed from the sedatives they had given her, but she still remembered. She couldn't form the words. She nodded instead.

"Ree," he asked, dropping his voice into a softer, gentler tone, "are you okay?"

Tears spilled down her cheeks. "No."

Whippy had called Allen and Allen had come to investigate what the crying servine was about. Mitzi was dead and Ree had beaten a pokémon poacher with a metal bat. Tori had to be sedated as well, hysterical over what Riddick had done—which Allen didn't know, since no one was in much of a position to share. Ree was fine keeping all the blame to herself.

He was doing his job, and maybe it was a good thing that he'd come when he did. Ree was two for two on assault attempts.

"It's a good thing you got that badge when you did," he mumbled, looking down at his lap. "But for fuck's sake, Ree... You're going to give us all heart attacks."

Her throat closed up. "He killed my pokémon."

"I'm not _mad_ at you," he said, sounding entirely too much like a disappointed parent, "I'm not going to pretend I would have done anything different. Actually, no, wait, I would have—I would've taken out my gun and shot the bastard."

She raised her head, mustering up the effort for a glare.

"The point is, you're a pregnant trainer who ran into a poacher. You've just lost one of the main battlers on your team. Your servine is _still_ comatose and Lenore nearly gave herself an aneurysm trying to find a fast-acting sedative that's safe for a young, pregnant girl to take."

"That's not a point."

"Point A: we're worried as all get out. Point B: we don't want to be angry at you. No one wants to be. Trust me when I say this, Ree: Unova loathes poachers and no one's going to be against you on that point. We're worried about you. We didn't want _you_ to be the one to do that—that's what I get paid for! I'm supposed to be the one out there bloodying my hands over dead pokémon, not the pregnant girl!"

She tilted her head back further, chin jutting out defiantly. "I wish it hadn't happened either, but it did, and I reacted," she said thickly. She rubbed at her eyes, a little clumsily. The sedative still made the world seem a little more distant than it actually was.

"At what point would you have called me?" Allen asked.

"I don't know."

He sighed heavily and stood up. "You're going to be here overnight, if only so we can keep an eye on you. And Lenore. She's worried herself sick over you and what this stress could be doing to the baby."

Ree looked up at him, breath catching in her throat. "But—they already did tests, they say it's okay—"

"Stress is never good for a mother to be. We just want to make sure you're safe. Let you unwind here," he said soothingly, leaning down to her level again. He looked tired—and fatherly again.

Tears blurred his face and she tried to blink them back. They fell, again. "Do you think she was scared?" she whispered.

"No. She was alright. She didn't know. It was fast, it was painless, she's okay now," he told her, quickly, softly.

Ree didn't feel any better, but she hoped it helped. She could only imagine Mitzi, alone, separated from her trainer and her love. She fell asleep early that evening, still crying.

-.-.-

"_The state-region of Unova is a unique case in history, for various reasons, some seen as positive, and others widely regarded as negative. While its repeated policy of political and biological isolationism was—and is—highly controversial, the nation stands by its decision to renew it. Ever since the chaos that Team Plasma sowed has been officially marked as 'resolved', Unova has been conservative in its political decisions, be they foreign and domestic. _

"_One of the largest problems that the nation has faced ever since reintroducing isolationism as a policy is the rise of its black market. Due to the rarity of foreign pokémon inside its borders and its own pokémon in the rest of the world, and due to the high prices of the licenses required to legally transport Unovan pokémon over borders, illegal activities focusing on this niche have flourished. Pokémon hunting has been legal in the nation since its founding and truly, Unovans are not as squeamish about eating pokémon and their products as other nationalities seem to be. But this sort of blunt approach to the food chain only encourages the view of pokémon as consumable goods. _

"_Unova is home to Nimbasa City, one of the fashion capitals of the world, and its gym leader has been seen with various pokémon furs several times. Given Unova's famously cold winters, some degree of acceptance towards this is expected, but to an outsider, it may be surprising to see how cavalier some can act about pokémon skins and furs. Hunting for pleasure is a controversial issue in Unovan politics and has been a hot-button issue for almost a decade, but if any major state-region is going to pass laws sanctioning it first, it will be Unova. _

"_Where will their black market be, then? Pokémon poaching is highest in the region of Unova and they have taken drastic measures to try to cut these numbers, such as instituting the highly publicized Unovan Field Operations branch of the military, and it is true that these trained professionals are doing great things. But if Unova continues to have this sort of poisonous relationship with its own pokémon populations, they will never succeed against what the underground goings-on will offer to those who can pay for it._"

"Ree, what are you doing awake?"

She rubbed at her eyes, not tearing her gaze away from the computer screen. The hospital had a small computer lab and the nice lady at the desk had let Ree go on after enough pathetic crying. The clock in the corner told her it was just past three.

Allen sat down beside her and his hand hovered for a moment over her shoulder. He pulled back with a fidget. Ree yawned and scrolled back up to the top of the page, then said, "I was just reading an essay..."

"An _essay_?" he asked.

"It's about..." She gestured uselessly after trailing off. She had typed in '_pokémon poachers_' and it had suggested tacking '_Unova_' onto the end, and this had been halfway down the page of search results. She'd had no idea that they were actually this bad of a problem, or that other regions viewed them like that. The essay had been written by a Johtoan scholar who had done field work in Unova and was several years old, but still.

Allen carefully pulled her chair away from her screen. "First off, it's terrible for your eyes to be staring at a bright screen in a dark room, especially this late at night. Why aren't you in bed? You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"You were checking in on me?" Ree asked.

"Yes, I have been all night. Alternating between you, your servine, Lenore, and Tori," he replied at once, then cringed, clearly realizing he probably shouldn't have volunteered that information. "I, um, I'm just making sure you're okay."

"I couldn't really sleep. I woke up after..." A nightmare. She couldn't even say it aloud. She knew whatever they had given her had to have worn off by now, but the world still felt distant and blurry around the edges. She felt not numbed, but thick and slow. Everything was out of focus and wrong.

"How much reading have you done concerning Unova's policies?" Allen asked lightly. She shrugged. "You probably haven't heard about this, and strictly speaking, trainers aren't supposed to know until they figure it out on their own. But Unova's gym circuit is different."

"Elesa mentioned something like that. First half, second half, or something."

"Yes, well. She shouldn't have," he said flatly. Ree snorted. Allen shook his head and continued, "There are advantages to being a second-tier trainer. But—shit, before I get any deeper into this subject, here."

He threw professionalism to the wind and pulled her into a tight hug. She was wrapping her arms back around him before she processed the move. And wow, she was crying again. It was a minor miracle of reality that she had any tears left to shed. He held her for a long while, and it was Ree who pulled away first, sniffling and wiping her nose with her wrist.

"Are you okay?" Allen asked gently.

"Is this the part where you tell me I shouldn't go around beating people no matter how bad I feel?"

He winced at her tone. "Well, you probably shouldn't do that... but not exactly what I was going for. I'm sorry for getting into this, but I'd rather talk to you about this subject when we're alone."

Becoming curious about all of the mystery could help her, however momentarily, forget about Mitzi. Ree latched onto the conversational lifeline like a drowning person. "What's going on? Something covert? Did I fuck up more than even _I_ thought possible?"

If she sounded overly eager to talk about this, Allen didn't react. "It's not covert, but it's not widely known—or, rather, it's there for everyone to see but isn't advertised. Unova's gym circuit is divided into halves. You probably know about the badge rules."

"Uh, yeah, a couple." If a trainer was over the age of ten and secured one badge, their parents couldn't legally call them back from training. There was something similar for the second badge, too, but she couldn't recall it. She hadn't known there were others.

"Once you get four in the lower half, you're automatically boosted to the next tier. And there are certain... You just..." Allen sighed and ran a hand through his hair, mouth opening and closing a couple times. "You get some leniency with certain laws and incidents. Good god, I'm not telling you this to—to make it better, or worse, or anything like that. I don't want you to think that. But I want you to know that you're not going to get in trouble for this."

It was harder to distance herself from that afternoon than she thought, and this topic wasn't as far from that one as she had originally hoped. Ree struggled to process it. She hadn't gotten in much trouble for... the first incident. The man had been apologetic and she had gotten a verbal slap on the wrist for it. She hadn't thought she'd really done anything wrong past getting angry.

This time—_concentrate on the bastard, not Mi—_she couldn't finish the thought, any of her thoughts. "You're telling me... Stronger trainers are allowed to do this—this sort of—"

"They're allowed to defend their teams. They have the means, and the training government isn't going to get in the middle of that."

"So I could have—" Ree started, but her voice broke. She cleared her throat and tried again, but all that came out was another dry croak.

"Yes," Allen said tiredly, "you could have killed him. He was easily proven as a poacher, and depending on his record, he could still get a life sentence or a death sentence. Legally, Unova figures it's easier to let their strong trainers help curb the black market and illegal hunters, poachers, and trainer impersonators. It makes the UFO's job easier."

Ree made to stand up and he seemed to expect that, grabbing her wrists and pushing her back down into her chair. Everything was assaulting her again and she couldn't compartmentalize all of this. She couldn't deal with it.

"I'm not telling you this so you can—can go and do something stupid. I don't want this to happen again! I'm telling you this because I'm worried it'll happen again."

She forced her gaze back on him, praying she didn't look half as scared and angry as she felt. "You too?"

"What?"

"Tori—she thinks I'm going to become this rage beast—and I'm _not_!" She couldn't control how high her voice got. She was aware that her hands were shaking in Allen's grasp. "You're worried I'm going to go out there—and what, Allen? Become a mass murderer, a serial killer, some sort of sicko? Is that what you expect out of me?"

"No, Ree! That's not it, I promise!" She tore her wrists out of his hold and he looked like she'd slapped him, but he made no move to touch her again. "You've got two cases of assault with an arguably deadly weapon under your belt and you're not going to face repercussions! I'm scared to see what that'll make you think. I don't want to see you like this again, that's all! I don't want this sort of system to act as some sort of—encouragement!"

"Maybe if you did your fucking job and stopped the people from killing my pokémon I wouldn't have to kill!"

The way his face—his entire body—crumpled before her eyes sent a sharp pang of guilt into her heart. But Ree had more anger than guilt and she stormed out of the room, wishing she knew where the poacher's hospital room was.

Her thoughts were a cacophony and her heart was in her throat, constricting her breathing. _I could have killed him. I __could have killed that man for Mitzi—Allen stopped me—I could have killed him and how dare he stop me! Mitzi is dead—my minccino is dead—she's dead—_

She could have killed the man and Allen knew that, and took that away from her. Would it have made her feel better? Could she sleep better knowing that she fully avenged Mitzi's death? She could have killed him, she knew she was fully capable at that point, and that terrified and infuriated her.

She hated Allen and she hated that system and she hated the poacher. She hated the insinuation that this could happen again. She hated that the opportunity to decide for herself had been taken from her. _No one would have even blamed me. They still don't blame me_, she snarled in her head. She punched the nearest wall, but that pain was minor. It wasn't distracting her. None of it was.

She made her way back to her room and fell onto her bed, too mad to even cry again.

-.-.-

"When do I get my pokémon back?" Ree asked, voice flat.

Lenore tapped her pen against her clipboard. "You're getting discharged today. Keep up on your vitamins," she replied curtly.

"I have been," Ree lied in return. Her baby doctor was being cold, and she was more than glad to return it. She felt that anger from the early morning stewing in her gut, maybe in the same area as the stupid baby that had started all of this.

"Keep hydrated and keep in contact with either Allen or I." From her tone, it was clear who the woman would prefer Ree kept in contact with. "You are healthy and the baby is fine at this stage. Aside from stress levels. Try to avoid stressful situations if you can, and while your body is used to some level of physical exertion, don't get carried away."

"Right."

"You can pick up your pokémon from the nurse at the desk after you fill out the discharge paperwork," Lenore said and left Ree alone.

She hadn't seen Whippy or Tori since the day before. It wasn't going to be nice, dealing with others, but on the other hand, it would be a welcome distraction. Tori wouldn't be fun to deal with particularly. But at least she and Whippy... could mourn together.

Mourn. The word felt heavy in her mind.

Ree signed the papers she was told and was handed back her backpack and most of her belongings. There were certain things clearly missing—a pokeball and bloody baseball bat specifically. But no matter how much she glared, the receptionist was not going to give her Sophia back.

"Then where can I get my minccino's pokeball?" Ree asked, voice breaking again.

"If you go down to the ground level and then take a left from the elevators, the desk there will help you with your deceased pokémon's remains and pokeball. I'm sorry."

In the elevator, Ree checked her phone. A couple of texts from Kev and one from Harry, mostly them asking where she was. She hadn't spoken to them since she had left Nimbasa, and here she was in the city again. It was laughably sad how yesterday morning, her biggest concern had been peeing in a forest. There was a missed call from Scott as well, but he hadn't left a message. Oh well. She really didn't want to talk to anyone for awhile. This was a private sort of sadness.

She had half expected to find Tori in the lobby, but the blonde wasn't anywhere to be found. The receptionist had said she had filled out her discharge paperwork earlier that morning. Ree texted a basic "_where are you_", unable to invest much more effort than that. Tori would understand.

"I was told to come here for my..." Ree couldn't finish the sentence. The desk worker seemed understanding and nodded.

"Yes. The minccino, correct?" Ree nodded, throat feeling too tight again. "Cremation is standard procedure, but if you have special rights you want to perform or would prefer a burial, we can give you back the body."

She had honestly not expected this to be so forward—or blunt. She had no one else to ask about this stuff. Ree was the final answer on this subject, and she had no idea what to do. She could bury Mitzi, but she would have to return home. She couldn't stand the thought of burying her in a random cemetery here. Ree knew if she even thought about returning home right then, she would never be able to travel again.

The older man's face softened. "We have special urns for trainers. They're smaller, more durable, and they are meant to be traveled with. You could take it with you."

Ree nodded and blinked back tears. She could carry Mitzi with her on her journey. Okay. There was something right about that. The kind receptionist talked her through a couple of options of design and size, leading her back into a private side office. They had to pause several times so she could compose herself, but he seemed very used to that sort of thing.

"It should only take about an hour and a half. The urns all feature a special notch on the top for the minimized pokeball to be placed, if you want to keep it." He talked her through the basic process, showing her a catalogue of different designs and sizes. She couldn't really see it through the tears but she nodded every so often and that carried her through the bulk of the conversation.

"Just—whatever's nice," she whispered. Today was not going to be a good day, but she would only have to be in the city for a little while longer. She wasn't sure if it would be easier or harder back outside of city limits, but she couldn't stand being in the hospital for much longer.

"If you already had a pokeball set aside for the little one, there are some types that have places for two."

"...What?"

"For the..." His face drained of color and Ree's heart slowed to a stop. "Oh no. I'm so sorry."

"...Little one?" Ree repeated faintly. There was one brilliantly normal knee-jerk mental response of _oh my god, Whippy and her had been doing shit behind my back!_ And then, the moment passed and she realized how the situation had gone from terrible to even worse. "Sh-Shit—I'm sorry—I have to—" She staggered to her feet, already fighting back wracking sobs, and left the office before she got any worse.

The restrooms were across the lobby but she honestly didn't care about making a scene at this point. She heard a couple concerned questions and a worried call of "Ree!" but Tori would follow her. Ree couldn't afford to stop. She made it into a bathroom stall just as she threw up, and then collapsed against it and sobbed into the bowl.

The door squeaked open after a couple moments, and there was a knock on the door. Ree made a noise, she wasn't sure if it was positive or negative, but at least it was a noise that wasn't strictly crying. She could get over this, right? It didn't change anything, Mitzi was still dead, and it didn't change anything but—

"Ree?" came a soft voice through the door.

She made another noise that was slightly more affirmative and the door opened behind her, nudging her in the back. She felt sick again, and reached up to flush down the puke. Dry heaving and sobbing would get her nowhere, she should just pick herself up and go and get this taken care of so she could leave this damned city behind.

Tori wrapped her arms around her shoulders and Ree tried to calm her breathing. "A-Are you okay? I'm sorry, I came as soon as I could..."

Ree turned and looked—that wasn't Tori. It was Harry.

She stared at her, momentarily shocked out of sobbing, and Harry took the opportunity to smooth back her bangs and tuck stray hairs behind her ears. Harry searched her eyes for a moment, looking scarily near tears herself, and then pulled Ree into a hug. The crying started all over again.

After what felt like hours, Ree calmed down. Her chest and throat hurt and she had a headache coming on, but Harry had sat and held her the entire time. "What are you doing here?" she rasped, the first coherent thing she had said in how long? Awhile.

"After we brought you to Castelia, they asked for emergency contact numbers. You didn't want your parents to get involved and Kev and I were scared of what sort of situation you were trying to leave—I left my number. I'm sorry, I should have told you," Harry murmured, rubbing circles on Ree's back.

"Oh. Thank you," Ree replied quietly. That was strangely comforting, and she couldn't deny that having another friend in this was soothing as well.

"I got the call yesterday, but since I wasn't family, they wouldn't let me teleport here. I took the first flight I could get last night. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner."

"Don't apologize, I was... It's been c-crazy."

It took some time before she was steady on her feet again. Harry kept one arm around her waist as support. Ree washed her face and tried to look like she hadn't been crying for who knew how long; it was a lost cause. Her thoughts were calmer on the surface, simmering underneath. She was okay, she could act normal, she could do this.

"Harry," Ree said, glad that her voice didn't waver, "could you do me a favor?"

"Anything, Ree," Harry replied, so earnestly, that Ree had a moment of doubt. She quickly pushed it aside.

"I'm traveling with this girl—wears a lot of blue, has light blonde hair that she keeps up in a braid thing. Just a little taller than you. Her name is Tori, and can you find her for me? I just have to... take care of some things."

The redhead nodded and after making sure Ree was alright, left for the lobby. That would keep Harry busy and Tori, too, if she actually found her. Ree squared her shoulders, rubbed at her itchy eyes one last time, and headed back to the elevator. It was empty and when she got off, the hallways were empty as well. She wandered up and down the halls, peeking into rooms, looking for him.

At the end of the second hall, she found the poacher.

He was hooked up to several machines, unconscious. His head was wrapped in thick bandages and what she could see of his face was purple and angry red on one side. One arm and that hand were in a cast. The beeping was even and annoyingly loud in the silent room.

_How hard is it to find a scalpel in a hospital?_ Ree turned the room upside down, but it was devoid of anything sharp. In all of the books she'd read, there was always a convenient scalpel or pair of scissors nearby. Eventually, she just shrugged off her backpack and pulled her own knife out.

He killed Mitzi. Their teammate. Whippy's girlfriend, or mate, or whatever. He had killed Mitzi and she had been _pregnant_.

Allen said she wouldn't be blamed. She could feasibly get away with this.

Throat would be the easiest, it was soft and full of blood. Part of it was wrapped in bandages, though. She could try cutting his wrists or just stabbing wildly, but she didn't really feel the same sort of chaotic fury as yesterday. This was cold and pointed. Yesterday was a madness with a hatchet; today would be a razor's edge.

"I see Allen told you."

Ree froze up, knife in hand, in the room of her pokémon's murderer. This wasn't going to be interpreted any other way, so she turned around, ready for an argument. Lenore leaned against the door frame, tapping her clipboard against her chest. She looked mildly disinterested, and entirely unsurprised.

"Do you really believe you're going to calmly kill this man? It looks like you're going to go for his neck. The second you cut into his jugular, the spray of blood would surprise you so badly you'd lose all nerve and likely start screaming."

"I was planning on avoiding the carotid arteries," Ree retorted acidly. He could drown in his own blood. Lenore's brows rose, disappearing beneath her bangs, only now acting surprised.

"Still," the woman said, regaining her composure, "I don't think you'd make a very good killer."

Ree was in no mood for this shit. She shifted the knife in her grasp and held it out over the man's neck, tip down. "Watch me."

"I have no doubts—now—that you _could_ kill him," Lenore amended. "But it's not a very nice life change to deal with. As your doctor, I recommend that you don't."

The brunette narrowed her eyes and tightened her grip on the handle. But she didn't say anything. She wasn't sure she could trust herself. She didn't _want_ to be talked out of this, but she wanted to cry again even less. She couldn't be weak now.

"I didn't start out in this field as an obstetrician, you know."

Ree regarded her suspiciously, but Lenore seemed comfortable keeping her distance. She examined her clipboard, feigning reading it. Putting on a show of calm, Ree knew, but she couldn't get annoyed at her. Her last reserves of energy were simply there to maintain her anger before she succumbed to grief again.

"I used to be a field medic working with the Unovan Field Operations. I met my husband through that, too. But I got tired of all of the death—our people and stupid kids who were on the wrong side of a pokémon battle. Accidents, tragedies, senseless violence, the usual. I've seen what feels like hundreds of boys and girls half your age in your position," Lenore explained, scanning further down on the page before her. "Our country lets them get away with it, of course. Defense of the self and team, we're very keen on protecting that right."

"Then let me," Ree croaked.

"This is defense? He's in a coma. As far as I know, they're optimistic about him recovering consciousness, but who knows to what degree? At the very least, you've cracked his skull, broken his hand in two places, his wrist, his clavicle, and bruised who knows where else. He could have brain damage, I'm not sure." Lenore shrugged and Ree wasn't sure whether to be viciously pleased or put off by her cavalier attitude towards his injuries. "He's in a hospital and badly injured. If he wakes up, if he recovers, he faces prison. If they can pin him to two more trained pokémon murders, that's an easy life sentence. You've already taken his life away."

"No, I haven't! He's still _alive_!" Regaining her grounding, Ree stepped closer to him and rested the flat edge of her knife against his jawline. The tip pressed into his skin of his throat. "Mitzi isn't. These are facts, and I can change only one of those."

"Don't trade a life for a life. Don't take life, not like him. That destructive road has already swallowed up too many trainers, and I'd really like it if you didn't follow them. Especially since you're expecting. I decided to switch fields so I could work with life instead of dying kids all day. Do the same and make that decision ahead of the curve, please."

"Mitzi was—!" She couldn't finish it. Her lips refused to spit the word out. Her brain still couldn't process it—she had been pregnant and he had killed her and that was two lives—or one and a half—it was more than just Mitzi—

"Paging Ree Majors. Ree Majors, please come down to the ground floor lobby." Both women looked up at the sound of the intercom.

"Sounds like you're needed," Lenore said mildly.

She hadn't expected Harry and Tori to find each other that quickly. But Lenore had stalled her, and now her emotions were a confused, gnarled mess of hurt. Ree huffed and turned from her, back towards the patient in the bed. The machines kept beeping. She pulled the knife away from his neck.

And plunged it into his chest.

One of the machines started beeping crazily and Lenore made a sound of alarm. Ree pulled it out, stalked past her, ignored the startled receptionist, and headed for the elevator. She honestly didn't know if she had hit anything important. There was blood on her knife and with shaking hands, she wiped it off with a dirty shirt in her backpack.

Had stabbing him felt good? She wasn't sure. It didn't bring Mitzi back, one way or another. She slid down against the elevator's wall, sinking to the floor, and struggled not to cry. She had a couple of dry sobs, and her eyes swam with tears, but she physically couldn't cry any more. Not surprisingly, Harry was all but waiting for her at the elevators. "There you—Ree! Are you alright? Are you okay? Shh, it's okay." Hugs and physical comfort and no questioning of morals. That was better.

"I-I-I'm fine," she bit out, still fighting to regulate her breathing. It was a miracle she hadn't hyperventilated yet and passed out in a puddle of her own tears. _Stay angry_, she reminded herself. She didn't have to be sad if she was angry. "Harry, I'm fine. Where's Tori?"

"About that..." Harry led her to one of the benches in the lobby, gently guiding her down. She held out a folded, slightly crumpled piece of lined paper. "She left a note at the desk for you."

Ree took it from her with unsteady hands. She wasn't sure if that was still going on or new. "She wasn't...?" Somehow, she knew the answer to the unspoken question. The tear-splotched paper had a couple sentences in curly handwriting, and that answered everything she didn't want to know.

"_I am so sorry. I am so, so sorry, Ree._

_I can't do this. I can't stand by and watch you become a monster. I have to protect my team and I have tried to keep you safe, too. I am doing the last thing I can think of to bring you to your senses and keep you there. I'm leaving. _

_I hope you can forgive me. I hope you can forgive yourself. If you have to be angry at someone, though, be angry at me. Think of me when you get angry. Focus your anger at me and only me, and don't let it loose on the world again. Please, Ree, stay away from that path in life. _

_I am so sorry for everything. Tori._"

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Tori is long gone and Harry is back. Ree struggles to come to terms with what had just happened, and has to continue playing the adult when explaining to her team what happened. Some lives go on.


	22. Of Loss

Mitzi's introduction to Whippy was one of attacking. She had been sleepy and off-guard, and he had come out of nowhere. He'd collided with her and they both went tumbling into the undergrowth, her kicking and squealing and trying to get away. She hadn't gotten a good look at him initially, only that he was attacking her, and had very sharp claws. Defense was her priority.

But after one well-placed kick, he rolled away with a pained groan. And stayed like that. Predators didn't simply lay there.

The minccino peeked over at him, wary but curious. He curled up into a tighter ball, a little scaly green thing with leaves poking out. She knew an injured pokémon when she saw one, and she couldn't really leave him. "O-Oh. Are you alright?"

He started at her voice and uncoiled just enough to look her in the eye with his own large, surprised, red ones. "...Wow. You're cute," the snivy said bluntly.

She reeled back and would have probably fled, had the fluffy demon not appeared and paralyzed her. She felt her joints lock up, but no stranger to stun spore, she shook as much of it off as she could before it truly set in. She turned tail and ran for the bushes, but the whimsicott cut her off and grabbed her hind leg, throwing her into a tree.

She was shocked when the snivy picked up the whimsicott with his vines, yanking her away. The whimsicott was similarly surprised. "Precisely _what_ has gotten into that empty, pointed skull of yours this time?"

"Go find another meal," he snapped back and gave her a push. Mitzi edged backwards into the bush, fighting with her legs to keep moving. The whimsicott shot her a quick glance, then returned her full attention to the snivy.

"Let's just keep our phalluses out of our mental processes for five whole seconds, shall we?"

"It's not that hard to find food. Go find something else," he maintained, moving in between them.

"I am tired and hungry, and I want to get back to that Amazon before bigger things than you or I wake up for the night. Move aside or I will _make_ you," the larger grass pokémon said slowly.

"Then go back and stay with Ree and _I'll_ get something."

The whimsicott smiled thinly, exposing sharp teeth. "So you can stay out here and fornicate instead of gathering food? I think not. Do you want to see who's faster between us when you're wounded?"

For a brief moment, Mitzi was terrified that they would start fighting in front of her. Instead, the snivy just sat back on his haunches and wailed, "_Ree_! Lala's being mean to me!"

"What—?! I never—!" Mitzi wedged herself into the bush as she heard some sort of answering shout. She could just hide, wait this out, and hope it all went away. The snivy was nice for defending her, but she would rather they all just left her alone.

A moment later, a human broke into their clearing with rapid speech. She could hardly keep up. The pair before her were silenced, looking chastised, and a pidove swooped into the scene with a severe, "Stop your fighting!"

It wasn't that bad of an introduction.

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty-Two**: Mister Snivy Whiplash's Wonderful Journey Of Loss

-.-.-

"How are you doing?"

His trainer didn't look very good. Whippy kept his mouth shut, looking her over instead of answering. Her hair was a mess and she looked so tired—she looked like an older human.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around hers, burying his snout in her chest. She sucked in a breath, and released it shakily, and he squeezed his eyes shut. His own chest hurt, but he was old enough to realize that it wasn't exactly a physical injury. He wished it would go away.

But he'd deal with feeling like that every day for the rest of his life if it meant Mitzi would come back.

"A-Are you okay, mister?" Ree tried again.

He liked her voice. He knew she couldn't really understand him, but it was nice to pretend they could talk sometimes. "I miss her," he breathed into her shirt. _Make her come back_, he wanted to add, but it was hard to talk about it. The world didn't really work that way. He knew that. But it didn't stop him from wishing.

"Whippy, Mitzi was..." She didn't finish her sentence. A moment later, she tried again. "Mitzi was..."

He looked up at her, unsurprised to find her crying, and tightened his grip on her arm.

Something in her expression broke and she turned her face from him. "Lala and Harper don't know. Do you want... to help me?"

No, he didn't. He didn't want to come out of his pokeball ever again unless it meant it would be with Mitzi. But he was her starter, and they were partners. They had been together, alone, before everyone else had joined their team. He knew what his role was. "Okay."

They were out of the city again, he was glad to see. The grass and trees around them soothed him; human buildings always felt so confining. The yellow-haired human was gone, but the red-haired one was back. She kept a respectful distance, and after Ree asked her something, she left entirely. Whippy hoped she would be back later. He wanted someone to be there for his trainer. He just wanted to curl back up in his ball.

"Didn't we already pass by this area?" Lala asked upon release, surveying the path with a critical eye.

"So what? Humans get lost easily," Harper replied coolly. She fluffed up, jumping a bit, and then looked back and forth between Ree and Whippy. "What's wrong? What has happened?"

The whimsicott looked around, clearly noticing the lack of a teammate. "Where's the—" Lala cut herself off. Whippy shrunk back, playing with his tail leaves in his claws. Mitzi always hid behind her tail. "...Oh."

"What's wrong?" Harper repeated, voice higher. She turned from Ree to glance at Whippy, and then met Lala's eyes. They stared at each other.

"Guys," Ree said, sitting down in front of them. She reached out and took Harper into her hands, lifting her too carefully into her lap. The bird shifted and pressed her cheek into Ree's stomach with a wordless coo. "We have to have a talk."

Whippy sat down next to his trainer, still keeping his tail leaves in his claws, like some sort of comfort thing. Lala stayed separate from them, staring silently—and then, slowly, took a step backward, further away from them.

"There was... Yesterday, something happened," their trainer said with forced calm. Whippy sniffed and rubbed at his snout.

"It'll be okay," Harper mumbled.

"Mitzi was... Sh-She was... Oh, shit." With that, Ree gave in and pressed her hands against her eyes, shoulders shaking. "Fuck. S-Sorry. I promised I wouldn't c-cry in front of you anymore... Guys, she's gone."

Harper untucked her good wing and nudged Ree's elbow with the tip. Ree took her hands from her face and picked her up, kissing the top of her head, getting tears on her feathers. She pulled her starter into her lap after that, and then looked up for Lala.

The whimsicott tore her gaze away from them, and looked behind her into the quiet forest. Whippy frowned, blinking rapidly, and tightened his grip on his tail. After what felt like too long, Lala shook her head firmly and turned to disappear into the undergrowth.

"Wait—Lala, no!" Ree fumbled with her two pokémon before simply scooping them up in her arms. "Lala, you're still injured! Don't—don't do this..." She was long gone.

"She didn't mean it," Harper soothed. She rubbed her cheek up against Ree's neck. "She'll be back, Trainer."

Whippy continued gazing out into the silent forest. He caught a glimpse of Lala as she broke out into a small clearing. She didn't look back.

-.-.-

"W-Well, at least it's not too salty this time!" the redheaded human said with false cheer. She stirred the pot and Jackster obediently gave her another package of noodles to add. "I think this batch will be good. I was practicing at home, since my mom wanted me to help out around the house a bit, and Shady got really good at controlling her flame's temperature, too. I-It's sort of neat what pokémon will learn in different situations, right?"

Ree didn't answer her. Harry's face fell and she returned to the pot.

Whippy was curled into a little ball on her sleeping bag, back to them all. It was a cool night, and he was too far from the campfire to benefit much, but he had gotten used to having Mitzi as a heat source. She was always so warm, and her fur was so soft... He had liked petting it. He curled up tighter and stuck his snout underneath his tail, hiding from the world.

Harper hadn't really left Ree's side since that morning. It was understandable. _He_ should be the one doing that, being her starter, her partner, but he couldn't bring himself to. Mitzi was different for him. He couldn't bring himself to care about anything else just yet. He hoped he could handle it given time.

"I-I'm not really sure how long it will take us to get to Driftveil, I've never been in that area. But I'm excited to see that bridge, I've heard it's amazing! ...Aren't you, Ree?"

"Yeah," she replied flatly.

"And it'll be another gym battle, that'll be nice... You're making _really_ good progress, you know that? I've heard the first four gyms can be pretty easy, but you've just swept them! That's really cool."

"Yeah." Then, Ree added, "Thanks," in a much smaller voice.

They wouldn't have won that last gym battle if it hadn't been for Mitzi, Whippy knew that. He couldn't have won against all three of them by himself. New gyms would be hard again with her gone. ...Harper still had her wing hurt and Lala, while recovering, wasn't allowed to battle, either. He was the _only_ battle-ready pokémon on the team.

With that realization, he raised his head and looked blearily around. He couldn't afford to let anything else happen to the rest of the team, especially now that they were more vulnerable. He'd have to deal with his pain on his own time; he could _not_ let anything happen to Ree, or Harper, or Lala. Even if the whimsicott was being a jerk.

"...Do you think Lala will be back for dinner?" Harry asked worriedly. Ree huffed. "I-I just want to know if we should save her some, or get a bowl ready, or..."

"I don't know," Ree snorted. "She never listens to me, why should I know?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean that..."

"Ree, don't be like that," Whippy said as he hauled himself to his feet. She looked up at the sound of his voice, but then resumed staring at the fire. Harper kept looking at him curiously, though he could see gratitude in her eyes. "C'mon, Ree, food," he added and butted the top of his head against her upper arm.

"You feeling better?" she asked quietly, patting him. He didn't respond, and she took that as answer enough.

Whippy sat back down near her feet, sprawling in the heat of the fire. The night didn't seem so cold anymore. Harper hopped awkwardly onto Ree's knee, settling there, and peered down at him. "How are you doing?"

"Do you think she's coming back?" he asked instead, eyes closing.

Harper glared out into the dark trees. "She had better."

"Food time!" Harry broke in cheerfully. "Jackster, would you wake Shady up? Ree, can I have your bowls?"

Ree put her foot through the backpack's strap and pulled it closer to her. Digging around, she got out her own bowl, then the cup that had become Whippy's, Harper's... and then Lala's and Mitzi's. They had gotten a complete set of camp utensils for them all, since she had been tired of eating in shifts. And now they had extras.

Ree stared at the bowls in her hands. Harry knelt beside her and carefully pried her fingers off, without a word.

"...I can't do this," Ree whispered.

"It will get better," Harper said at once, practically throwing herself into Ree's chest. "Trainer, it will be okay. It will get better."

_It was easy for her to say_, Whippy thought darkly.

"Ree, food," he whined, opening his eyes, trying to entreat her into playing normal for the night. He could only stand so much crying, be it from himself or others. They had to get through this. There was no other option.

Harry placed Ree's bowl in her hands, only half full, and pushed her spoon into her grasp. "Eat, please. For me?"

Mechanically, their trainer ate. Harper hardly touched her food, eying Ree like a braviary, making sure she ate a decent amount. Whippy, on the other hand, ate more than his share. He wasn't hungry so much as looking for something to do. He had to keep up his strength, stay healthy and strong. He normally wasn't one to skip meals anyway.

He was finishing his second bowl and Ree was almost done with her half when Lala finally came back.

"Lala!" Ree dumped her meal and nearly upset Harper as well, who fluttered to the ground. The whimsicott stood at the edge of their campfire's light.

"I can fight again," she announced. Whippy gulped down the rest of his soup and surveyed her, noting the blood in her fluff and the way she was hiding a limp.

"Lala, where have you been?" Ree scolded, sounding more sad than angry. "We were worried sick."

"I can battle again," Lala repeated, gesturing up and down. She stepped into the firelight and it illuminated the day's hardships: all manner of things in her fluff and blood and scrapes covering her body. He saw several unfezant features and what looked to be some sort of tooth in the ruff around her neck.

"Wait—you were injured," Whippy said, mouth catching up with his brain. "Were you out fighting all day?"

She shot him a dirty look. "_Yes_, and I have been recovering my strength at a faster pace than the human healers anticipated. I can battle again."

"I could have handled it."

"Now you don't have to fret about it. I brought meat," she said and showed that she had dragged in what may or may not have been part of a deerling. "Cook this, red human," she declared imperiously, pointing at Harry.

"Don't call her that," Jackster said reproachfully, eyes narrowed.

"Are you going to attempt to stop me?" she shot back. Her menacing demeanor was greatly reduced when she was scooped up and hugged tightly by her crying trainer. "I—Put me down, Amazon!"

"Lala, you stupid, fluffy pokémon, don't you ever run off like that again! I was so scared that you—you..." Ree buried her face in her fluff with a weak laugh. "And you came back with another dead thing, of course you did..."

Whippy looked down at the hunk of flesh, alarmed. He saw Harper do the same with significantly more panic. But their trainer didn't seem bothered by it, mostly glad that the whimsicott was back with them. Harry picked it up with a frown, noting the grass and leaves stuck to the bloody bits. "U-Um, this is a... nice gift."

"Be grateful for the sustenance!" Lala ordered and then flailed again as Ree tightened her hug. "Stop that! I never said I would leave for good!"

"You shouldn't have left at all!" Whippy hissed.

"Don't fight, you two. Let's just... continue from here." Ree sighed heavily and finally set Lala down. "Damn, Lala, what were you doing all day? Your fluff is a mess again..."

Harper turned her beak up in the air when Lala sat down beside her. Whippy growled at them both and then moodily stalked over to help Harry and Shady with the haunch. Ree was clearly in a much better mood, trying to feed both of them with the rest of her bowl. That should have cheered him up, but it didn't. He saw the way Lala had carried herself, and how she had flinched at Ree's hugs. She was still injured enough to matter, just trying to hide it.

"I hope you believe that was a good investment of your time," Harper said coolly. Whippy could just barely hear her over the fire's crackling and Jackster worrying over the meat.

"Um, Ree... A-Are you sure you want me to cook this?"

"Yeah. We can have another batch. Do we need more water?"

"Yes, but I can get it!" Harry said quickly. "Shady, you stay here with Hattie. Jackster, come on." The litwick saluted with a yawn. She left with her nervous blitzle in tow.

The camp fell into silence. Ree took out her knife and tried to skin Lala's kill as best she could, though it came out rather roughly—much rougher than her usual work. Lala blatantly ignored her trainer. Whippy snorted at her and went over to help as best he could. "...So, you battled a lot today, it looks like," Ree said casually. Harper tweeted a laugh. "Why did you do that?"

"I am healed," Lala replied.

Ree shook her head. "Language barrier. I'm guessing you were trying to prove a point or work out your... emotions, and that's okay, but aren't you still hurt?"

Lala shook her head emphatically. Whippy hissed at her again in warning. She glowered at him, eyes narrowed to slits. "I can battle for this team again."

Their trainer sighed again. "You sure?"

Sometimes, it was amusing how she could—or could not, as the case often was—keep up with them. As a lab pokémon, Whippy had been warned time and time again by the older pokémon to expect that from humans, but that they could be taught in time. He wasn't sure he was doing a good job at teaching her. But then, there were times like those, where Ree almost seemed to be able to understand them.

"I am more than perfectly healed and able to battle," Lala said as she picked out twigs and bits of fur from her fluff. She idly examined each before tossing it into the fire. It turned out to indeed be a tooth in her fur, but he couldn't place what it was from before she threw it as well.

At that point Harry came back with their water, Jackster helping to carry the larger of the canteens around his neck. They got to work on a second batch of soup and Ree hacked the haunch into smaller pieces to cook. It seemed very normal.

They were just lacking one thing.

-.-.-

"Okay guys, let's just..." Ree planted her fists on her hips and glared at the morning sun. Whippy yawned in agreement of the 'early' assessment. "I guess we can get to training..." Her lack of enthusiasm was understandable. Harper looked particularly depressed as she settled into her perch on Ree's shoulder. "Guys, just be careful. Please."

"We shall," Lala replied flippantly and bounded off.

"Remember to keep close! Don't run off too far! Goddamnit," Ree called after her, then sighed. "Whippy, you stay close, too. Keep an eye on each other, okay?"

As it turned out, Lala wasn't interested in straying too far. Whippy followed her for most of the morning, until they stopped for a late lunch of leftovers. She stayed well within reasonable limits as their trainers tried to find the path again. She picked a couple fights, as usual, and drew a couple back for Jackster to battle. It was remarkably normal of her. He was still suspicious of her intentions and didn't want to let her get hurt even worse, however, so he kept an eye out.

Harper seemed particularly morose about being unable to battle, and that was understandable. If he had been unable to battle right after evolving, he would have died of anxiety. He caught her a couple times stretching her wing as best as her sling would allow. Lala had obviously sped up her healing process with grass moves, but as a bird, Harper's options were far more limited.

"You guys okay?" Whippy asked as he stopped in that afternoon. He felt like he was being pulled between checking on Lala and checking on Ree and Harper, but that sort of business kept him from thinking about Mitzi, so it wasn't too bad. So he told himself.

"We are doing just fine," Harper replied primly.

"C-Could you tell Lala to stop bringing me angry pokémon, though...?" Jackster whined, ears drooping.

"Yeah, I'll pass it along."

To their surprise, however, Lala met them on the path. She was missing a conspicuous chunk of fluff near her neck, and she was terribly out of breath, but otherwise acted like nothing was wrong. "No more pokémon for me to battle for you?" Jackster asked sulkily, stumbling over the end of his scarf. Lala laughed breathlessly.

"No, you may take a break now."

"And where have you been, missy?" Ree asked. Lala shrugged and folded her little arms behind her head. Whippy, for his part, flinched; that last word had sounded too close to a name. "You be careful out there, okay?"

"I shall endeavor to return alive and whole from each of my travels."

"Don't act like that!" Whippy snapped at her. She turned to regard him coolly over her shoulder.

"Act like _what_?"

"Act like this is okay!"

"Like what is okay?" she continued, innocently.

"Lala, stop it," Harper cut in. "Do not antagonize him for your own selfish gratification."

"Guys, don't bicker," Ree said, petting Harper. She glared out from under her hand. "Let's just take a break from battling for a little while, okay? Let's just... stay together."

Lala immediately rebelled against the idea. Their trainer, on the other hand, seemed to be prepared. As Whippy was preparing to pounce on the other grass pokémon to keep her there, Ree pulled a pair of bars out of her jacket pocket. The two pokémon looked up at her curiously and she held one out to each of them.

"Snack time," Ree said simply, sounding immensely pleased with herself.

Lala cautiously took hers; Whippy leapt at Ree's hand and tore the chocolate bar out of her grasp, gleefully giggling as he ran up the path with it. He fought with the wrapper for several moments, long enough for them to catch back up, and managed to claw it open after what felt like entirely too long. Lala had stuck around to let their trainer open hers and already had chocolate all over her skin, though it nearly blended in.

Chocolate wasn't a treat he was used to on routes. He knew on some level that she had given it to him on purpose as a distraction, but he was far too busy with that distraction to care. Sweet sweetness!

"I think most of it ended up on his face," Harry observed with a small chuckle.

"He'll figure it out," Ree replied.

"I would not count on that fact," Lala snorted as she delicately licked her paws clean. Harper tweeted a laugh from her perch on Ree's shoulder, though she had a bit of chocolate on her beak, too.

"Is there any more?" Whippy asked pathetically, tugging on Ree's pant leg.

"You only get that one. If you guys are good, you can have one tomorrow, too."

"Continuing a crusade of bribery. I may have underestimated the Amazon's ability to cope with this."

"She's doing a better job of it than you are," Harper said snidely.

The day wore into the night. Lala behaved, Harper practiced stretching her wing out, and Whippy noticed that Ree acted as just a good a heater as Mitzi had. It was a better night overall. There was one scare when a woobat wandered into camp to investigate the fire and Jackster bolted, but aside from that, Whippy could tell they were all doing a little better. Maybe it was about getting better in small increments.

The third day after they lost Mitzi, they came to Driftveil Drawbridge. The humans gasped and declared their awe, and their pokémon gaped at the fact that they were expected to cross over that much water on nothing but rust red metal.

"I'm not getting on that," Hattie said, appalled at the construct.

"I am staying firmly on this land with you," Lala agreed, looking quite pale.

"I-It's not so bad, right?" Jackster neighed as he shied back behind the girls. He stumbled over his scarf again, bumping into Harry.

"Oh, are you guys nervous?" Harry asked sympathetically, turning from the bridge to hug Jackster. "It's okay, it's a good bridge."

"It's a great bridge! I hadn't thought it would be so big. Look at how far across the other side is!" Ree exclaimed and Lala paled further.

"Ree, I think—"

"Look at how far out you can see! And we're—oh, shit, we're kinda high above the water, aren't we..." She backed away from the edge with a high-pitched giggle. "But this thing is huge! Very solid. I wonder how long it'll take to cross? We could be on here for awhile."

"I think our pokémon—"

"I'm not going anywhere near that!" Lala declared, grabbing onto Whippy.

"It's just a bridge, isn't it?" he cried in alarm. He was fairly used to human-made structures, but he hadn't seen this much water since the Castelia docks. And even then, he had never been expected to _cross_ it.

"I wonder how far down the water is," Hattie murmured darkly. "Maybe the water wouldn't be our problem if this were to collapse."

"Metal sinks," Jackster whinnied. "That's a long ways across! We'd be on this for at least an hour, even if I was galloping! I'm not crossing that, Trainer, please don't make me—"

"Jackster, shh, honey it's okay—!" Harry grabbed him by the scarf to keep him there and fumbled with her pocket in the other. "I'll return you all, okay? See? Ree, I think our pokémon are having second thoughts about this bridge."

"It's just a bridge, though."

"I'm going to return mine. Um, it might be good to..." Harry gestured to where Lala was still clinging to Whippy, trembling. He was perfectly still save for his quivering tail.

"...Oh."

Harper's head had been tilted up for most of that exchange, scanning the skies. "There are birds here," she said quietly.

"I'll stay out!" Whippy said at once. He wasn't about to leave the two trainers alone with wild pokémon, even if they could be non-hostile. And someone had to keep an eye on them, anyway.

Lala shook her head. "I-I want to be returned. I would not look forward to that long walk across the blood red bridge of human-made death."

"It's not that bad," he rationalized.

"Wet fluff makes me heavier. I am not risking this."

"Do you two want to be returned?" Ree asked. Whippy shook his head and Lala nodded wildly. "What about you, harpy?" Harper pressed up against Ree's cheek and shook her head. "See, we'll have Whippy and Harper out. The bridge isn't that far across, anyway."

"I'm not that worried—well, I just didn't want to cause them distress. I hadn't thought this would make them so nervous, but when you think about it, bridges this large don't really exist in nature, do they?" Harry remarked as they started walking. Whippy walked right up against Ree's leg, holding onto her pants. After she nearly tripped, she held his hand with hers instead.

"I wonder if you can fish off of here."

"You'd need an awfully long line."

"But you could get out into the middle where it's deep and the bigger pokémon go. Or something. I guess there are ducklett flying around here, too..." Ree shielded her eyes against the sun and squinted up at the sky. She seemed to be thinking.

Whippy got progressively more nervous as they went farther from the land, but it wasn't quite so bad as he thought it would be. It wasn't long before Ree gave him another bit of chocolate to distract him, and he was happy to be distracted with sweets. That alone made it worth it.

A couple of curious bird pokémon came down to investigate, but Harper and Whippy chased them away without battling. There weren't many other trainers on the bridge, and there was plenty of space for them to avoid unnecessary battles. Harry talked their way out of one and Ree glared her way out of another.

Just over halfway across the massive bridge, Ree decided to read again. Whippy saw that she was reading that big handbook of hers again, not the littler one with the naked person on the cover. He held onto her free hand tighter; she normally got sad or upset when she read the big one. And as if knowing this herself, Harry piped up, "What are you reading?"

"Looking over the chapter on the gym circuit," Ree replied absently.

"What does it say?"

"Not much that I need to know. How many badges do you have again?"

"Oh, um, just three."

With an overly casual air, Ree suggested, "You should totally get another."

Harry chuckled anxiously, fretting with the sleeves of her bright sweater. "I-I'm not really a trainer, Ree, I'm a little out of practice and my pokémon are, too. I'm not sure I'll want to just jump back into battling like that."

"We can help you battle, but I guess... We're going in the wrong direction for you, huh." Ree barely repressed a shudder. Whippy joined her. Nimbasa did not hold fond memories.

"There are other gyms I could battle, we wouldn't have to backtrack! I mean, I-I guess most of them are pretty far south, but we could always make a small vacation out of it, or I could do it on my own, or we could just... continue with yours," she trailed off with a fidget.

"Other gyms?" Ree repeated, confused.

"I know they're not traditional, but they're still valid and accepted!"

"No, what do you mean by 'other' gyms?"

"Virbank or Aspertia?"

"The gyms there are legal?" Ree asked in shock.

"Well, yes." Ree's shocked look continued, stretching the silence, so Harry added, "These are not super new changes, Ree. They've been around for a couple years, I think, they're just not advertised as part of the traditional eight-gym circuit..."

"I could have skipped battling Elesa?"

"Um, yes, if you wanted to travel down—"

"_Fuck_!"

"It's okay, we beat her," Whippy said and gave her a tug on her hand. But he understood what else that statement represented; if they hadn't gone to Nimbasa at all, neither Harper nor Mitzi would have been attacked. Ree squeezed his claws but didn't respond to him. She just glared out at the water.

They made it to the Driftveil side of the bridge just before sundown. The unexpected stress the bridge had caused their pokémon weighed on them all as they made camp that night. There were two other campfires in the distance, one of them a trio who had come off the bridge just ahead of them and had likewise stopped for the night, and another group farther off who hadn't gone on. There was a couple, hand in hand with frillish behind them, who passed them to go onto the moonlit bridge just after they settled in.

"Not used to seeing this many other trainers," Ree mumbled, craning her neck back to check out the other spots of firelight in the night. "The bridge must have a bottleneck effect. Aren't there other ways to cross?"

"Not near here, I don't think. But I'm sure there are others _somewhere_. This is the biggest, isn't it?"

"Probably."

"It was plenty large enough. I cannot—and _will_ not—imagine anything larger," Lala replied, pressing a paw against her neck ruff. "Cook faster, nutritional substances. I must regain my strength after that ordeal."

"You didn't go _on_ the bridge," Whippy grumbled, tail swishing in his annoyance. "At one point, Ree and Harry wanted to see how long it'd take for a rock to hit the water."

"I never did hear that splash," Harper said as she fluffed up her feathers, shuddering.

"And then Ree threw up, too."

"Did you hear that one?"

"No."

"We're on land again, and we'll never have to cross that infernal tangle of metal ever again," Hattie said and that was that.

Cocking his head, Jackster perked up an ear. "Though we can still hear the water... It's sort of soothing when it's farther away."

Whippy and Lala tilted their heads to better listen, too. "I guess so. I like the sound of food better."

Hattie looked over to where their trainers sat chatting. She frowned thoughtfully. "Do you think our trainers will be okay?"

"They will be. We all will be," Harper replied.

"What's wrong with your trainer?" Whippy asked, perplexed.

Hattie sniffed and put her snout in the air. "The world does not revolve around your specific trainer. For your information, our trainer didn't take your news very well, and she had to deal with her own issues. Life is tough for everyone."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Don't snap at him for his concern," Harper told her, and Hattie snorted back. "Let's not compare sorrows or stresses right now, it'll lead to nothing good. Let's just eat."

"That is the smartest thing I have ever heard out of your beak," Lala said.

_At least some of the normalcy has returned_, Whippy thought, glancing between them. He felt cold again, though. Leaving the other pokémon there, he got up and walked over to the humans, sitting himself down in Ree's lap.

"Huh? And what do you want, mister?"

"I just want some company," he replied.

She pulled out another piece of chocolate from her backpack and handed it to him. That worked, too.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Driftveil approaches, and Ree continues to adjust to the major change in her team dynamic. But other lives go on, too, and time to cope is a gift not always bestowed on those who need it.


	23. Of Rain

"So how long will this take?"

"Leave it on as long as possible, that'll make it darker," Maya replied, still bent low over Ree's hand.

"And what's this called?"

"It's called henna, Ree, c'mon. This isn't a new thing and I've already told you that four times. _Henna_, and I learned it from Darius, before you ask that again, too."

Ree liked her sister coming home to visit and all, but she didn't need to be so snappy about it. The elder huffed and examined the design Maya was painstakingly drawing on her hand. It looked... swirly. "Why don't you do yours?"

"I still have some fading ones on my feet, and you don't know how to do it." Maya looked up and gave Ree a flat look. "Nor are you trying to learn it on me. Practice on someone later."

"So... Learned this from the boy toy, huh?" Her sister ducked her head, but Ree could still see the blush on the tips of her ears. "What number is this one? Gonna start collecting them like badges?" she teased.

"N-No! And it's not like that!" Maya replied hotly.

"Then what's it like? ...Isn't this stuff used in marriage ceremonies in other regions and stuff?" Ree asked, pulling her hand out of Maya's grasp. She examined the dark designs her sister had drawn across her palm. Maya, still red-faced, glared wordlessly at her. "You're fourteen. Don't get carried away—"

"I _know_ I'm fourteen! But I can't help it if I'm out training all year and on my own half the time, and if I want to fantasize about a stable future where I can be married and settled down and have pokémon adventures with my husband, that's my own business, Ree!" she burst out. Ree stared at her in shock. After a beat, Maya seemed to realize that she had said too much, and rapidly backpedaled. "I just—have a lot of time to think out on the routes, sorry, it's weird, but—um, it's n-nothing! You know, just me doing the whole boy crazy thing again."

Ree let the subject go, but as Maya finished her designs, she had to wonder just how lonely a training journey could be.

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty-Three**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Rain

-.-.-

It was pretty, she recognized that from an unattached viewpoint. Pearly white with silver edging around the rim of the lid. There were little swirls near the base, etched into it or something. She hadn't been able to look too closely at it. She had only been able to hold it in her hands twice.

With trembling hands, Ree placed the empty, minimized pokeball on top of the lid. It slipped onto the slot and clicked into place. It felt so final. She had been putting it off, precisely for that reason, but instead of the tears she had expected, she gulped down a few shuddering breaths and that was it.

The urn was pretty, she told herself. It was dignified and sweet and perfect for her. _Should the others have been here for this?_ Ree thought.

No, it wasn't as if this was anything official. This was just her looking at what amounted to a shiny plastic jar in the middle of a muddy forest that just happened to hold the remains of her furry little sweetheart. Who had happened to be with egg. Or child. Or whatever. _Like me_. Oh, and there the tears came. She had been starting to worry.

She heard the breaking twigs and rustling of the bushes before she heard Harry's voice. "Ree? Where did you go?"

Ree scooped up the urn with its pokeball lid and wiped off the rainwater with her damp shirt. She stowed it in her backpack and zipped that closed just as her companion sloshed into the scene. The forest was too dense for umbrellas but the trees weren't quite thick enough to keep everything out. "I'm here," she answered tonelessly.

"It looks like it's picking up again. I was just, um, worried. Do you want to wait it out or try continuing on?"

Neither of them really had proper raincoats. Hell, Ree didn't even have an umbrella. But they were about a day, or less than, from Driftveil and that was tantalizingly close. Besides, progress would be good for her state of mind. "Let's go. If—If you're okay with that."

Harry broke into a wide smile. "Yeah! O-Of course! I'll go grab our things and we can get going again."

Rain was something that trainers got used to, but Ree had been blessed in the fact that she had rarely had to encounter it outside of cities and relatively short storms. This storm, on the other hand, had decided to travel with them like a very friendly, nice-smelling, overly loud herdier. It was depressing to be perpetually wet, but it was equally depressing to find that it was easy to get used to that sort of misery.

Ree dealt with it with all of the grace that she used with the rest of her life: she walked barefoot everywhere, ducked under Harry's umbrella as often as possible, and wore as few layers on top as she could manage. Harry had been a little embarrassed on her behalf at first (Ree had a sneaking suspicion that this only increased once it became apparent that she was not going to deal with the anguish that was a wet bra), but she had gotten used to it through a surprising amount of willpower.

"It's a little easier to keep them dry if you keep 'em in your backpack," Ree suggested, squishing her toes into the mud. Overhead, the sprinkling gradually transformed into a steadier rain.

"I just wish the rain would stop instead."

"Free water." They hadn't had to deal with lack of water, sticking close to little streams that entered into the bigger river they had crossed, but the constant worry about running out reminded her of her missing blonde. No more convenient water pokémon.

Ree had thought she'd miss Tori—not more, but differently. It wasn't like Mitzi. Missing Tori was in little flashes, like remembering they didn't have a water pokémon, like reading her smut (before it started raining) without judgment, or like getting really angry at a wild unfezant who thought it was a good idea to harass Lala in front of her. But missing her, just like missing Mitzi, had already dulled.

Not completely. Another reason why she was grateful for the rain was that it made the perfect mask for her random bouts of tears. There was an obvious literary metaphor in there somewhere but she preferred to ignore it.

Harry looked down at Ree's legs with pursed lips. Ree couldn't help but grin, though it sort of made her eyes itch. "I'm working on my beartic impression." It was amazing what a layer of mud and grass would do to a week's worth of hair growth. "Wearing wet socks inside of shoes all day can make your feet rot. Haven't you ever read a war novel?"

"No, not really. I try not to," she admitted.

"Not even the classics? In school? Book club?"

"I don't remember feet-rotting in any of my school books."

Ree humphed and Harry rolled her eyes. She knew that Harry wasn't a gamer—it wasn't like she could think of many games that included feet rotting in wet socks, granted—but some stories needed to be read. "When we get to Driftveil, you and I are going to the library. It's not a gym again, is it?"

"No, it's not."

"Damn." It had been hilariously easy, in hindsight, to use the library's layout (and Lenora's protective tendencies) to their advantage. If only all gyms had that sort of easy field. "Know anything about the Driftveil gym?"

"Just the basics... The leader is a man named Clay, I think? Something like that. He deals with ground or rock pokémon, I think. Something tough. I-I've never been that far out. You're the one with that big training book, haven't you looked at the sections on the gym leaders?"

"Kinda glossed over it when I first got it. It's not as if it has their biographies in it, and since then, I've mostly been looking at the specific stuff. Cooking, staying dry, lighting a fire when it's _pouring_..." She counted off on her fingers.

"Okay, we can look at it later. When we get into Driftveil, we can peel off all this wet stuff, dry off, and then read in front of a fireplace for hours on end," Harry said dreamily, pressing her hands to her cheeks. It just stuck her wet hair in place against her skin.

"Does the Driftveil center have a fireplace?"

"Let a girl dream, Ree."

"Fair enough. Come to think of it, hot cocoa sounds heavenly right now..." Ree sighed and shook out her own wet hair. A big, fluffy towel, a hot bath, reclining in front of a fireplace, hot cocoa, pokémon curled up beside her... "Ugh, it's not _fair_! I didn't sign up to be _rained on_ for the past two days!" she shouted at the sky. It rumbled in response.

"At least it's not a hurricane or a blizzard."

"Don't mention anything having to do with snow. It's only October. I'm hoping we get a really, _really_ late winter this year and I can continue on my journey without freezing to a tree or something," she said with a shiver.

"You'll likely have to stop somewhere for at least a couple weeks..." Harry said, concerned. Ree nodded; she had already known that. She was making good progress now, but realistically, she had to count out about a month in her journey due to likely bad weather. Hopefully not any more than that. "Or we could head down south. They're not too bad, or we could go to Undella... No, they get cold towards the end of the year, too..."

"I'll just make an igloo somewhere and live off the land. See, my legs are secretly part of my master plan to become a beartic, live off the land, terrorize stray trainers, and not worry about human drama ever again."

"Pokemon can't legally own their own badges."

"Well, you can have mine, then. Pawn them off on the internet or something, buy yourself a mareep with the profits," Ree said dismissively. "I can be a beartic, and find a dry cave to live in, and sleep for three months straight, and not have to worry about poachers or badges. Come to think, don't beartic give bi..." She froze in the middle of the path, mouth still parted from her trailed-off sentence.

Harry stopped a couple of steps ahead of her. "Ree? A-Are you okay?"

Ree managed to push all of her sorrows out of her mind, however temporarily, by the simple realization that she would have to _give birth_. She looked down at her stomach in horror. "There's something _in me_, Harry. I... am going to have to push a baby out of my vag. A human baby. _Out of my vagina_. I am going to have to give birth, and get doped up, and do the screaming mother routine, and holy fucking shit I can't even break the father's hand because he—"

"Calm down! It's okay—"

"It's not okay! I'm going to be in a delivery room by myself in half a year! I'll be shoving a thing _this big_ out of something that's significantly smaller!" She held her hands apart a little ways, and then looked down at her stomach once more. "Harry, I am going to be going through the process of giving birth, and that is not okay, okay? Don't tell me it is. Let me panic."

"I-I don't think it's a good idea for you to, um, panic about that," Harry said nervously. She closed the gap between them and took Ree's hands; the brunette was momentarily startled at how chilly her hands were. "It _will _be okay. Remember, you'll be in a hospital, with a lot of experts and doctors around. Women go through this all the time and they're okay," she said, voice firm, eyes determined.

Ree was a little impressed by her composure. Sure, it wasn't her pregnancy, but she didn't seem at all fazed.

And then Harry ruined the serious moment by adding, with a giddy giggle, "And then we can swaddle it in something I knit! It will be extra warm that way. I just need to finish your team's set of scarves and socks—oh, no, I have that half-finished hat I could finish for someone..."

"How many projects do you have going at any given moment?"

"Oh, only one or two. But I have a list to do in the future that's getting quite long. And I can't knit while it's raining on us, so we should hurry on to Driftveil, alright? It'll be okay once we get out of the nasty weather and we have some time to unwind."

"...But I have to give birth," she repeated. _And_, Ree suddenly thought, _Mitzi never will_.

The crashing of thunder overhead coincided nicely with the grief coming back in full swing. Maybe her life was one extended literary metaphor, and the weather was just playing catch-up.

But then, their bonding moment (or extended metaphor) got rudely interrupted by a man appearing right beside them. Both of them screamed and jumped away, Ree automatically searching for her missing bat, but Harry recovered first. "Wh-What are you doing here?"

"Oh, it's raining here," Allen remarked, holding his hand out from the cover of his already-open umbrella, like he was surprised.

"No, seriously, what the fuck are you doing here," Ree pressed. She reluctantly let go of Harry's hand and missed the small frown that the movement earned. "You should be back in that godforsaken city."

"I was just checking the weather, and saw that a storm was in your area. And I have the day off, so I thought, why not abuse my power and come check on you girls?"

They both gaped at him.

He winced and shuffled away from them, like a lillipup with his tail between his legs. "Okay, bad choice of words..."

"Very," Ree agreed, still staring at him like he was the alien there, instead of his elgyem.

"Okay." Allen took a deep breath, switching his umbrella to his other hand. His psychic escort, clinging to his jeans, looked like it rolled its eyes. "I might have been the one responsible for going through your bag at the hospital, and I might have noticed that you were not really packed for bad weather. I might have a tendency to worry, and this might be compounded by the fact that you're younger than me but pregnant, and that you're overall a pretty cool gal who doesn't need a cold or the flu on top of all of her current problems. And I _might_ have brought you supplies and sandwiches as an apology for how Lenore and I acted towards you and your situation in Nimbasa," he said quickly, managing the speech in only two breaths.

Harry continued to stare, clearly not having caught even half of that. Ree had done a little better, but her understanding was still a little patchy. "I, uh... sandwiches?"

"And an extra umbrella, and raincoats, and dry clothes, and I've borrowed a friend's fire pokémon so we can take a break and try to dry some of your other stuff—"

"Hold up there. Let me process this and recover from the mental whiplash, okay?" Ree held up her hands and he quieted, still looking a little guilty. "..._Why_ are you doing all of this again? Why are you doing any of _this_? You're not my mom."

"Ree, you left Nimbasa with no rations, no clean clothes, no wet weather gear, and a man bleeding in his hospital room. I am _going_ to worry," Allen deadpanned. He looked them both up and down, and then held out his umbrella to Ree. "You're also walking around in the rain without socks or shoes and your shirt is very see-through."

"Is not." She looked down at herself, feeling very vindicated when she saw that it _wasn't_, thank you very much. Harry's cheeks rapidly matched her hair and she studied a tree near the path as if it would give her the meaning to life. "...It's just a hassle wearing more wet layers than I have to, you know?"

"I don't want to know what else you're skipping out on. Take the damned umbrella," Allen ground out.

Ree took it with a pout. It was clear, with little ducklett patterns around the edge. Not what she had pictured her military guardian as having on hand. "If you're going to be super convenient and all worried and stuff, could you just, you know, give us a free ride into Driftveil? It shouldn't even be that far."

His elgyem gave a screech that set her teeth on edge.

"I guess that's a no."

"That's a no," he sighed.

"Isn't it a trained pokémon? Shouldn't it listen to you?" Harry asked in concern.

"Tranjero isn't actually mine, he's assigned to me. We're partners and will only work with each other for the duration of our active duty. And he does listen! He's very good at listening," Allen said defensively and Tranjero gave another, lower screech. It sounded like grating metal. "He's just... better at listening to Lenore and my superiors than me."

"You doing something bad by visiting us?" Ree demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm not on active duty right now, as I said. And normally, I'm not allowed to use him for any teleportation, outside of emergencies. I was allowed to visit you guys and bring you stuff on the condition that I didn't act as your chauffeur or start making a habit of this."

"That's stupid. Why _can't_ you be my chauffeur?"

"But it's a pokémon _journey_, not just a series of stops in cities to get badges," Harry mumbled reproachfully.

"And it breaks two or three laws," Allen added. He shrugged off his rather stuffed backpack and pulled another umbrella off of the side, opening it and shaking out his hair. "Shall we get going then, ladies? I didn't mean to stop your progress."

"Uh, don't you have stuff for us?" This entire situation was beginning to get confusing. Ree couldn't really keep up with him, or her emotional roller coaster, though he was a very useful distraction for said emotional roller coaster. She didn't mind not thinking about pregnancy or birth or death for awhile.

"I'm a big boy, I can carry it," he replied, nonplussed by her question.

"...We're not going to beg," she said flatly.

"Can't I walk with you?"

"We're not _that_ close to Driftveil City," Harry piped up, gesturing vaguely up the path. "We're still about a day away..."

"I know."

"Dude, are you gonna play hooky with us?"

Allen smiled brightly and just like that, they got another traveling companion.

-.-.-

For the most part, the rain tapered off that evening. It still sprinkled off and on, and thunder could be heard to the east, but Ree hoped that they were past the worst of the storm. Of course, everything was still unbearably damp. It didn't even have the dignity of being wet, no, it was _damp_.

Allen helped them set up a proper camp, using a tarp overhead to keep further rain off of them during the night, and Shady started them a fire. The litwick didn't like all of the general dampness, cooing in displeasure, but she stayed by the fire until it was a healthy size. "Is that your only fire pokémon between you two?"

"Spoiler alert—I didn't catch a fire pokémon in the couple days since I've seen you last," Ree replied.

"And you still don't have a water pokémon, either, do you..." Allen looked down at Shady for a moment, thinking hard, and then pulled a pokeball off his belt. Both girls got another fright when he released something large, orange, and decidedly foreign. "Okay, well, we'll set about drying some of your clothes first. Your litwick can tend to the fire and help with cooking, right?"

"Y-Yes, she's good at th-that," Harry stammered out, green eyes fixated on the orange pokémon. It sat down beside Allen, wagging its fluffy tail, and looked around the camp with obvious curiosity.

"What the hell is that thing?" Ree asked directly.

"An arcanine," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"That's not from around here."

"Oh, no, it's not. Actually, he's a friend of mine's, and I let him borrow Maria—my beartic—for a week while he has a mission in northern Sinnoh. Don't worry, he's a good boy! Police trained. And the important thing here is that he's big enough and skilled enough to know how to dry clothes effectively."

"Not to mention keeping wild pokémon away. Not sure many things would want to approach _that_," Ree added and Allen nodded with an awkward chuckle. The arcanine barked happily and continued wagging his tail.

_Honestly, they let military personnel carry around foreign pokémon? Doesn't that send mixed signals?_ Actually, come to think of it, she wasn't sure the Unovan Field Operations counted as a military group.

"So, I won't ask why you've traded out Harry for Tori, since it can't be a super pleasant memory, but we're going to have to get past the awkward stage pretty quick here," Allen continued before she had the chance to ask. "Not that I'm judging you or anything, but I doubt either of you have had much contact with male trainers outside of battles, and trainers can't afford to be squeamish about some sorts of things..."

"Actually, we _have_ traveled with a male companion already. Kev. He was with us in Castelia, remember?"

"Not really. I just didn't want to assume anything. You two have been careful in choosing people to travel with, right?"

"What's your point, Allen?" Ree asked sourly. None of this was making her feel any better, and being dry could only mitigate his words so much. She didn't like how suspicious it sounded.

"I'm just—I'm _not_ judging you!" he exclaimed, and then had a strange little mix of an exasperated sigh and a huff. It sort of sounded like Yorick when he was about to throw up. His mouth pressed down into a firm, flat line, and he hooked his fingers into the bottom hem of his shirt, then lifted it up and over his head. Ree's annoyance significantly decreased. "Our clothes are wet. We're going to be drying our clothes during the night. I don't know how comfortable you two are and I don't want to cross any boundaries, but the more layers that come off, the better."

"Damn."

"Ree, stop staring," Harry mumbled, politely averting her eyes.

"We haven't gotten any proper eye candy since Kev. And he wasn't built."

"You have a boyfriend, don't you?"

"Eye candy. Totally harmless! Hey Allen, you don't mind, do you? Will you just stay shirtless for the night?" Oh yes, her annoyance levels were zeroed out. She could deal with nice looking shirtless men highlighted by soft firelight with the rain pattering gently overhead... Allen looked unsure of how to respond, shirt in hand, and Ree realized just how bad she had gotten. "Okay, you know what, no one else say anything about it. I have hormonal problems and I haven't been touched in going on two months. Let's just all sit around a campfire and be half naked and _no one say anything_. I'll be sighing happily to myself."

"I-I'm not going to be half naked! No offense, Allen, but, um, I'm not just—"

"No, no, it's fine! I don't want either of you to be weird about this—any weirder than it already is, thanks Ree—"

"You think I _like_ turning into my sister?!"

"What?"

"..._What_?"

Ree glared at them both, but the reference was completely lost on them. Of course it was, neither of them had ever met Maya, properly or otherwise. They didn't have any room to judge, anyway. Harry was still young and likely not nearly as hormonal as Ree was, and Allen was... Allen.

She lifted her shirt up over her head, uncaring of the fact that she was braless, and both of them blushed furiously and turned away from her so fast they had to have been lucky not to break their necks. She totally still had the power in this situation. Ree Majors may have been grieving, dripping wet, and hormonally imbalanced, but at least she was still shameless enough to control the situation at hand.

"Oh, you think it's funny, do you?" Ree snapped at Whippy. He shook his head, mouth shut tight to stop himself from laughing. "No chocolate for you tonight."

"Just... get something else on, would you? We're drying clothes, but no need to catch pneumonia!" Allen said as he wrung out his shirt. She had a feeling it was more for stress relief than to get water out. "I don't care what we try to dry, but both of you, at least change into clean clothes. And get your feet out of your socks and shoes. We don't need rot to add onto our list of issues."

"_Ha_! I told you!" Ree declared, triumphant. It was amazing what could cheer her up.

-.-.-

"What do you _mean_ the goddamned gym is closed?!"

"Until November first. The city is hosting two large tournaments, and Clay will be helping with them. He'll be busy, and most of the trainers in the city will be here for that, so it's easier just to close the gym."

Ree's mood definitely was not as even or as positive as she had hoped. They had made it to Driftveil, all but blackmailing Allen into staying longer than his announced day, and then the gym had been closed. It was only the first week of October.

"I don't _want_ to battle in a tournament, I want to get a gym badge!" she hissed at the unfortunate man at the desk.

"You can in a month. We are still taking applications for the second tournament, and Clay will be participating in both, if you would like practice or to see his team ahead of time—"

"I want to just challenge him and get it over with! I don't want to live in the gym!"

"Oh, I see," Allen said, cutting across Ree's growing tirade. "You're hoping to round up trainers waiting for challenges and get them to join the tournament in order to boost profits and popularity. How often do you do this exactly?"

"These two tournaments specifically are held twice a year. We hold several other throughout the year, although there is only one other that we close the gym for."

"Is it _ever_ fucking open?!" Ree all but shrieked.

"Ree, calm down. It's okay," Harry fretted, tugging on her sleeve. "W-We can use this time to train. And wouldn't a tournament be good for that?"

"She has a point there. You can work on some teamwork things, and shouldn't your tranquill be healed by then? A bird would be useful to have in the sky again instead of on your shoulder," Allen added.

She didn't like being ganged up on. She liked this unforeseen stall even less. They had already gotten lost, they had been rained on for days straight, and there had been more emotional ups and downs than she could shake a stick at. Sure, she was ahead overall, but by November, much of the bad weather would be set in. Who knows how long it would take her to travel through snow? If at all...

But the reminder that Harper would be battling again soon helped. A tiny bit. And she would never admit it. "Don't you have a military to be getting back to?" she scoffed instead, crossing her arms and turning up her nose.

"Why you—_you're_ the one who begged and pleaded for me to stay until you two got to the city!" he retorted. "I've already had to use four days of leave!"

"It's not like we needed the escort, you didn't even _do_ anything."

"Aside from keep you two from getting pneumonia, skinning that deerling for you, keeping you two reasonably dry in the storm, _and_ chasing off that thief."

"I could have handled her." Oh, how Ree would have _loved_ to have handled a pokémon thief.

"I'm glad to have helped," Allen said hastily. "Fine, I redact my previous statement—I kept you from chasing off that thief, which means I will sleep about two hundred percent better in the future."

"Then go off and sleep. We can handle it from here. You know, in the city. Without a gym to challenge."

"Stop being so aggressive," Harry said with a weary sigh. "Let's just go to the center and get a room..."

"You three can sign up for the tournament there, if you'd like," the man at the desk piped up. Ree gave him a look that could peel paint, but he didn't seem at all perturbed.

"Oh, no, I'm not a legal trainer. But I'll see these two to it," Allen said awkwardly, putting an arm around each girl to give them a push, getting them moving.

"W-Wait, I'm not really a trainer, either!"

"I'm not signing up alone," Ree said darkly. She could get Whippy and Lala exercising again, and battling against trained pokémon would be good for them. Harper was moving her wing more and more, even trying to flap when Ree wasn't near enough to stop her, and soon she'd have to take up practicing for flying and battling as well.

They got a small room at the pokémon center, and Allen begged out of staying with them for another night. He didn't have any more leave to burn, and a small part of Ree _did_ feel guilty for asking him to escort them all the way. Even if he was ridiculously easy to talk into it. Ree signed her and Harry both up for the second tournament, starting halfway through the month, and as Allen pointed out to the redheaded girl, "Your training license is still valid."

He said goodbye to them after a late lunch. And after buying them more supplies for when they inevitably went off again. Ree didn't even register the kindness right away. Allen hugged them both bye, startling Harry slightly, and then made Ree promise about a dozen things to keep herself healthy and safe that she would never remember.

"He's really... nice," Harry remarked as they walked back into the center.

"I guess."

"You've only known him as long as Castelia, right?"

"Yeah. That's when he was assigned to me. And Lenore, I guess."

"Isn't he... really, um, attentive?"

Ree turned and looked at her, unsure of how to take the question. Harry fiddled with her sleeves nervously. "He's already assigned specifically to me. I don't see how that's attentive."

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... guess or anything. He just..."

"He just what?"

"Gosh, well, he came and brought us both lunch and clothes and an umbrella on his day off? He just used his days off to stay with us, to make sure we got here safe, and he's fretted over you the entire time... He just... sort of reminds me of my mother," Harry admitted.

"Huh." She couldn't exactly argue with it. Now that she was aware of it, she had to admit that that sort of went above and beyond normal duty... didn't it? Then again, assigning an operative specifically to her was abnormal. Right? "I... guess he just worries." _Well, he did see you almost kill a guy and then have a breakdown_, she rationalized.

"I know. It's nice to have someone worrying like that. You and your parents still aren't talking regularly, are you?"

"No, not in... awhile." Not since Harper had gotten shot. She had only talked to them sporadically since starting this journey, and Maya and Scott even less than that. It was sort of nice to have someone watching out for her. "Well, anyway, while I'm not foaming at the mouth, let's sign up for the other tournament. Maybe there's prize money."

"D-Do I really have to sign up with you?" Harry asked pathetically.

"It'll be good for your team. Jackster might evolve soon!" Ree replied with false cheer. Back in her mind (_way_ back in her mind), she still knew that the rest of Harry's team wouldn't evolve until her starter had. After the blitzle did, then hopefully it'd have a cascading effect, and them bam—overnight, Harry would have a kickass team. Or at least one that didn't consist of a baby candle and a baby bug as backup for the nervous wreck of a blitzle.

"I-I don't want to force him..."

But Ree would not be deterred. There were two papers tacked to the wall next to the main counter, with several columns for names. There were still several slots left for the second tournament, and scanning over the rules, it looked like trainers could only participate in one or the other. The first one already had 'CLOSED' written in marker over the top.

Sure enough, Clay's name was at the top of each paper. Apparently, as a 'special guest', he could go in both. Probably to lure in more trainers. "Looks like some of these in each one are his gym trainers. Maybe this will be some useful practice after all."

Not that she was overly worried. She had two grass pokémon and he was a ground user. Then again, the electric gym was supposed to have been easy...

"It starts on the twentieth and has a round a day. I guess the first couple days would be busy... But not all the slots are full for this one yet." Ree awkwardly leaned over so she could write their names at the bottom of the open list. They had not been hung with tall people in mind, probably just more snot-nosed kids thinking they were hot stuff. "See anything about the prizes on here?"

"If you get into the semi-finals, you can challenge Clay without going through his gym..." Harry read.

"Oh hot damn."

"But Ree—"

"Anything about money? I mean, that's useful as fuck anyway, but I wouldn't mind some extra cash. I like having actual spending money."

"I-I don't see anything, but Ree—"

"We can train with the trainers in the city for either tournament until then, and we'll have to check on Clay's battles to see what his team would be like. Ooh, we get to see his team ahead of time! And then Lala's practically healed up, and we can get Harper mobile again soon, she'd be a big help and she'd be easy with the grounded ones..."

"Ree!" Harry burst out, giving her a sharp tug on her sleeve. The brunette turned to her, confused by the outburst, and she just pointed down at the list.

She bent over and read the messy scrawl.

'_Scott Felton_'.

"...Well shit."

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: DUN DUN DUUUUUN. Ree's not really in a good place, and it might not be the best idea for her to see Scott. Then again, with big tournaments in town, how can she avoid him? Ree puts them all on a fierce training regimen to get them up to snuff for the tourneys, conveniently mostly outside of the city in order to avoid her boyfriend, but of course, they can't have nice things on this wonderful journey! Things go wrong, as things are wont to do.


	24. Of Too Many Teeth

"What do you want for your birthday this year?"

"Oh, uh. I don't know."

"Well, write it on the list if you think of anything, please."

"Gotcha."

Ree Majors was surprisingly bad at coming up with things she wanted. There were always spur of the moment ideas, like a new coat, or a new game, or that lillipup in the window. (Or, in one very memorable example, a real heatmor. It had been a completely awesome and hilarious idea up until the point where it set her skirt on fire.) She was a terrible impulse buyer, and sure, she had a materialistic streak—she firmly believed that all gamers did—but it didn't mean she actually _thought_ about what she wanted.

Maya was always the precise one. She always had a list of five things for each member of the family. She ranked them in approximate price ranges, and always had a polite reminder not to go over a certain spending limit on her. And she always picked out the perfect gifts for others, regardless of whether or not it was on others' lists.

Ree, in stark contrast, fumbled her way through gift giving and receiving with all the grace of a blind conkeldurr. Buying gifts for her at specific points in the year was like pulling teeth.

She just never really _wanted_. She never planned on future gift ideas and never gave much thought to what others _wanted_ any more than she did herself. If she liked something and had the money on hand, she usually got it. If Maya or Scott happened to be with her and they liked something, well, she'd get it for them. If she didn't have enough, then she didn't buy it, and it was usually a case of out of sight, out of mind.

On the flip-side, she was also terrible at resisting temptation. She never put off gifts for herself or others, so she never built up a resistance to it. New game coming out a week before Christmas? She bought it and was halfway through by the holiday. Maya had her eye on a pair of earrings just before her birthday? Looks like she got an extra gift to wear for her party.

Ree closed her eyes and paused her game. _Things for a gift... Gifts for me..._ Free food was always nice, and so were new games, but she had gotten everything that had come out already. Wasn't there some older series she had been wanting to try? It escaped her.

The only things that came to mind that she desired were not exactly the things she asked her family for. Maybe Maya could get her the romance novels, though. At least she came up with an idea for Scott. The brunette let the matter slip from her mind and resumed playing her game.

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty-Four**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Too Many Teeth

-.-.-

"You know, I'm not even surprised. The past couple days have been _far_ too nice to me." Ree closed her eyes and held her arms out from her sides.

Harry frowned, looking between her and the sheet of paper, and then asked, "What are you doing...?"

"Waiting for the universe to finish heaping its misery and drama upon me. At this point, I'd like to get it all in one go so I can deal with it and move on with my life."

"I-I don't think it works that way. But at least this can be a good thing!" she exclaimed. Ree cracked an eye open.

"Elaborate."

"See, he's on the first sheet. Scott is in the first tournament, so... he can't be in ours. At the very least, you won't have to battle him in that." She tapped the paper again, a pleased smile on her face.

"So it's just a matter of avoiding him for a month until then." The tournament and its prizes were suddenly much less glamorous in her mind. Fighting her way through Clay's gym couldn't be that hard, surely, not with Whippy and Lala at her side. If she just stepped out of Driftveil and trained, and if Harper healed up, they could just have a go at the gym together without any of that...

But they had just gotten to the city. After getting lost, after having to return to Nimbasa under those horrible circumstances, after getting rained on for almost a week straight, they had _just_ gotten into the city. Realistically, no matter how much it displeased her, she could handle not getting a badge until next month. Training time was still productive. It'd keep her off the grid and out of Scott's sight, too.

"Are you—"

"Shh. I'm thinking," she interrupted, chin in hand. Harry obediently fell silent.

The beginning of April was her deadline, which gave her six months. She wouldn't be able to get to Icirrus or Opelucid during the winter storms, and she wasn't sure how long that would take out of her schedule. That could be training time—no, it would _have_ to be. Depending on how early the snow came, the gym before that might be off limits until the thaw. Damn the Unovan winters.

Taking away a month for this badge left her with five to get three more. In theory, that was more than enough time, but that was assuming the weather allowed her. She would have to hole up somewhere, or head south or east to warmer areas. That added travel time. She didn't exactly have a choice, though, unless she wanted to try to get them out of order. ...But no, the next closest gym was for flying types, wasn't it? She couldn't battle there without Harper...

_Or another teammate_, Ree thought. Three pokémon wasn't practical for higher gyms. Lenore and Allen both had been talking her ear off about getting a water pokémon. If she just skipped town for the month and trained, helped Harper to recover, and tried to get another pokémon, would it be so bad? They could go on to the next city and hope to catch a good pokémon along the way, which _was_ admittedly possible, since they were getting into some better areas for wild pokémon. Driftveil wouldn't have too bad of a winter to shut down the gym, surely, so they could backtrack to it...

"All participants get a month's worth of free meals at this restaurant in town. Huh. I wonder if that actually makes them any money in advertising..." Harry mumbled absently, reading over the finer print.

A shortcut to Clay and free food. Ree pinched the bridge of her nose. She was supposed to be _practical_ and smart about this, damnit!

"...Cash prize?"

"U-Um, looks like... the top thirty-two in each get money, and the amount goes up with each round."

Money, shortcut, and free food on one hand. On the other, Scott. ...That sounded bad when she looked at it that way.

"Oh, wait, here. There's a new prize added for every round you survive. All participants get that food, the next group gets a t-shirt and discount at the market, the round after that gets a free pass to either the spa or some sort of pokémon move class, and—"

Spa. Hot herbal bath, facial masks, pedicures and manicures, massages. Truthfully, Ree had probably been sold around the introduction of cash prizes, but the stacking effect ruined it for her. Practicality was never her strong suit.

"Okay, Harry, so here's the deal. We'll stay here a day or two and recuperate and enjoy hot showers. Long enough for the rainstorm from hell to get the hell away from us, and give our pokémon a break. Restock on some supplies. Then we head out of town for a week or so to train. Then we come back, sweep our tournament, avoid Scott like the plague, challenge Clay, and head onwards to our victory!"

Successfully avoiding Scott for two large cities already had gone to her head. She was at least that self-aware. But surely, how hard could it be? There were plenty of trainers around for the tournament, and they'd be out of town for part of his. What if he didn't even see their names on the second one? He could be out of town by the time theirs started.

And really, Ree loved free stuff. Who was she to back down from a challenge?

-.-.-

"We—_you—_can't make this into a habit!"

"It's less fun if we're on the ground floor."

"Although it is safer, at least..."

"Come on, let's get going. Training montage time."

It really wasn't as fun on the ground floor. Ree hopped out their window and took a bow. Whippy clapped from the windowsill, and then handed her her backpack. Two days had been spent lounging around, healing minor aches and pains, stuffing their faces with actual food (and smuggling more out of the mess hall for later). Even with Scott back in the picture, it was relaxing, something they needed.

Hoping he wouldn't have picked out their names from the second roster was too much to want; the phone calls and texts had resumed. Ree had even replied to a couple, usually too emotionally drained to bother ignoring him. She didn't _want_ to ignore him. Thinking of him, so close, made her think of her personal issue, and that in turn made her think of Mitzi. It was easier to have silly conversations with him.

It was a sort of unspoken olive branch. They didn't talk about where the other was, fully aware that they were both _somewhere_ in the center or city, or why both of them were there. Instead, they talked about their teams and tame, stupid little updates on their days. It was nice if she didn't think about it.

Ree pulled her hood up over her head, checking around the street they had escaped into. Despite their civil texts and fairly lengthy conversations, she had spied Yorick or Rocio out guarding the center door more than once, acting as a lookout. But now, it seemed as if the coast were clear.

"Didn't Kev ask you not to wear that one while you're acting suspicious?" Harry asked wearily, pattering up behind Ree and Whippy.

"I still don't get why you complain about this one," Ree groaned, rolling her eyes, and zipped up the black hoodie. Harry yanked the hood off her head and just as she whirled around to snap at her, sirens went off.

Both girls jumped violently, Harry grabbing onto Ree, and the pokémon center doors slid open to reveal more than one curious or startled trainer. Ree quickly pulled her hood back up, in case of Scott, and they jogged down the street. The sirens weren't from any vehicles, but rather for air raids or curfews. Except it was mid-morning and there weren't any active curfews in Driftveil City.

"Wh-What do you think those are for?" Harry asked loudly, over the din. She was still hanging onto Ree's arm, not that the brunette minded.

"I don't know, but I don't like them. We're getting out of town before shit hits the fan. I don't want to wind up in Silent Hill."

They turned a corner to catch the tail end of Clay and two gym trainers roaring down the street in an open jeep. A golurk rocketed on ahead of them, screeching loudly, adding to the overall noise. "We'll git 'em this time, boys! Those yella-bellied snivy won't git away 'gain!" Clay shouted as he waved his pickaxe. The jeep rounded another corner at an alarming speed and was out of sight.

"...We're definitely getting out of town. Gym leader can handle whatever that is," Ree said after a beat. A little dazed, Harry nodded her agreement. Whippy looked down at his pale belly with confusion.

The sirens didn't go off so much as dwindle out of earshot as they left the area. Ree didn't particularly care what was going on; Clay would take care of it. If a gym leader couldn't, then she wanted nothing to do with it. Wasn't that what they were around for? Harry glanced back down the path every so often, fiddling with her baggy sweater's sleeves, but they didn't speak about it.

They spent the day adjusting to life in the wilderness again. Lala, after being so rudely interrupted from her beauty sleep in her pokeball, took back to hunting and antagonizing with glee. Harper was less enthusiastic, and Jackster was least enthusiastic of all.

Hattie berated the blitzle for his cowardice, which, Ree had to admit, was fairly amusing. A little sewaddle squeaking and railing against a much larger pokémon was great entertainment. Of course, it did pose an actual problem—if Jackster still shied away from battling, he wouldn't get any stronger. And if he didn't get stronger, he wouldn't evolve, and if he didn't evolve, neither would Harry's other pokémon.

Of course, returning to traveling habits meant that Lala solved that through force. She brought back various wild pokémon and hid behind Jackster, forcing him to at least defend himself. Whippy helped occasionally, and Hattie made it clear she approved of this (while her teammate made it clear he certainly didn't), and Ree wondered if it was really a long-term solution.

"You could teach him a TM or something. Give him a secret weapon or show him he's strong," she suggested. The girls were sitting cross-legged in the high grass, in the sunshine, trying to avoid the rather cool breeze. Ree was helping Harper stretch out her wing in different ways. The bird was eager to get moving and whenever her trainer let go of her, she'd happily flap and attempt to get airborne, until Ree inevitably snatched her up again.

"He hasn't shown much interest in learning any. And they've been pretty expensive these days..." Harry smiled when Jackster came over to sit by them, ears drooping and trembling slightly. Lala berated him from afar.

"I have a couple I haven't used yet. My snotty little pests haven't wanted to learn any, either."

"Oh gosh, I couldn't take any from you!"

"I am not even using them. What about something defensive? In town they were selling some of those, too. I could sell one of my shit ones and help you get something good. Like flash or protect." _Maybe he'd get an ounce of confidence that way_, she added mentally.

"Well, let's just see how the next couple of days go," Harry replied.

The next couple of days turned out to be a running joke of a training montage.

Ree nearly had a heart attack when Harper flapped out of her grasp and managed to get into the trees, away from her. Jackster must have had a series of small heart attacks with how hard Lala was driving him. Harry eventually drew the line when Hattie tried to string shot his hooves to the ground to force him into retaliating, but Hattie seemed keener than ever to get him to stand his ground and battle. Whippy, for the most part, stuck close to the girls, only venturing out with Lala or once, to chase away a would-be mugger.

Ree didn't like seeing another one so close to Driftveil. They were about a day away, max.

"I should have gotten a new bat in the city..." If nothing else, Sophia had given her peace of mind.

"The second tournament starts next week, if you still want to join in. We can head back then."

"We. _We_ are joining it. Gotta sharpen these skills against more than just wild fodder," Ree replied dismissively.

"Well, we can return to the city next week, then..."

"I guess we can handle another week as we are."

The dinner of the fifth night in the wilds was when Ree noticed Whippy cringing as he chewed. She watched him, confused at first, but when she handed out more little pieces of chocolate—she had _maybe_ bought more than was strictly necessary as a coping mechanism—for dessert, Harper shot him a nasty look. Of course, that only served to confuse Ree further.

Things cleared up when, after he eagerly shoved it in his mouth, he flinched and whined, cradling his cheek. Harper hopped towards him with a tweet. "Tran-tran?" she asked, head cocked.

"Ser," he sulked. Lala let out a bark of laughter.

"...Whippy, does your tooth hurt?" Ree asked. He tried to turn from her, tried to hide it, but the pout and the water in his big eyes told her all she needed to know.

"Oh no, does he have a cavity?" Harry asked in concern. Harper nodded and Ree had to wonder how long her tranquill had known. He had been trying to hide it, she could see now, but for how long?

"C'mere, sit here." She dragged him into her lap in front of the fire, then tilted his snout back so she could look into his mouth. He didn't have a lot of teeth, not used to chewing as often as she or Jackster did, but the ones he did were mercifully large enough for her to inspect fairly easily. She had to use her phone as a secondary light source, but she soon found the problem tooth. One of his top canines had a clear hole in it. "Fuck, mister, how long have you been nursing that thing?"

"Servine," he replied moodily with a tail swish.

"Tran-tranquill!" Harper responded, flapping her wings in obvious agitation.

"That long, huh?" Of course they couldn't stay out in the middle of nowhere for that long. Nothing could ever be that easy. "We'll just head back to town in the morning. No more chocolate for you, mister. And, uh, drink lots of water. I don't want that getting any worse..."

"Scott?!" Lala demanded, attention caught. Ree stared at her, lost. "Whimsi-scott?" she elaborated with a wave of her stubby arm.

"Quill," Harper replied.

Lala growled at her and jabbed her paw in Jackster's direction. "Whimsi-si-_whim_! Whimsicott!" He laid his ears flat along his skull and gave a nervous, breathy whinny.

Ree must be getting better at the trainer thing; she caught on to that exchange quicker than normal. "Guys, we're just heading back to get this tooth taken care of. It'll take what, two, three days tops? You can resume your training later."

"Ser-servine!" Whippy exclaimed, shaking his head wildly.

"That tooth has to be looked at. Cleaned out and filled at least. I'm glad you guys are all gung-ho about this and you're not tiring out, but are you _really_ going to give up sweets for a whole week until we head back for the tourney?" Ree asked and raised an eyebrow.

'Aghast' did not begin to cover Whippy's expression.

"Not to mention how much it'd hurt regularly," Harry added, albeit with much more sympathy. "Jackster, you'd like a training break, wouldn't you?"

"Blii-ii-ii!" he neighed in immediate response.

"Whimsi!" Lala spat at him and threw her bowl. It bounced off the ground in front of him and he sparked in reflexive fright. "Scott, whimsicott!"

"You can battle on the way to and from the city, and it should only take what, a couple hours? Depends if they take walk-ins and... I don't know. I could pick up a new bat while we're there, too..."

"I could pick up some new yarn. I'm almost out of maroon."

"Stop looking like that already. The tooth has to be taken care of, okay? That means you rid of it or the cavity in it." Ree petted her starter, mollifying him, but she could sense the sulk that was building in other parts of her team. She was sure that Lala would calm down once they got on the road tomorrow morning, since she could still go out and tease the natives, but she would just have to deal with it for that evening.

As they settled in for the night (Lala conspicuously staying away from their sleeping bag), Ree let Harper sleep with her wing out of its sling for the first time. Partially because she was making excellent progress, and partially to keep on her good side. She could tell that the bird was hoping to get some battling time in herself if they stayed out for much longer.

"Tran," Harper said primly, nestling in near Ree's neck. Whippy yawned and slithered into the sleeping bag beside Ree, and stretched out. His tail came down to her knees and his snout was just shy of poking Harper. Ree could tell he was growing, but she wasn't sure if it was because he was still young or if he was on the way to evolving again.

Harper healing and Whippy growing. Lala training Jackster. "You guys will be fine with a small break while we run back into town. You're all doing really good."

"...Tran," Harper agreed, albeit hesitantly.

"Shady, come away from the fire now," Harry called with a yawn. There was an answering squeak and then nestling sounds as they got ready for bed. Sleeping on the ground everything sucked, quite a bit, but the bedtime routine was so different than the one in pokémon centers.

Ree rolled onto her back. The night sky was barely visible through the tops of the trees. On cue, her phone buzzed with a new text. "_Goodnight ree. wish me luck n the tournament tomorrow_", from Scott.

"_Good luck scottie. The stars are pretty tonight._"

"_not as pretty as you._"

"_you're a sap._" She wasn't complaining about this bit of bedtime routine transferring over into the wilderness version, however.

Tori had done many things for her. Keeping her talking to Scott, if sometimes forcing her through residual guilt, was one of the things she was most grateful. It kept her from getting angry or sidetracked with grief. Although it didn't mean she didn't miss her.

-.-.-

Ree awoke to predawn light and screaming.

She blinked blearily and fought to sit up in her sleeping bag, feeling cold. And unusually roomy—Whippy was gone. Harper, woken up by the racket as well, flapped and tweeted frantically as she tried to orient herself. Jackster neighed shrilly and Harry had already thrown herself at him to keep him from running off, her red hair sticking out from all of the static he was giving off.

"What the hell is going on?" Ree asked thickly, looking around for any sign of her pokémon. The noise didn't seem far off and seemed vaguely familiar—wait, that was Whippy screeching. Harper nudged her boots over and Ree barely slipped them on before running. He was not shouting out of fright, and he sounded nothing like Mitzi, but her heart was in her throat and she was surely going to _die_ if something had happened to him, too.

She found Whippy, stuck to the ground with web, not far from their camp. Lala and Hattie were beside him, looking up innocently at Ree's arrival. Everyone was in one piece. There was no smell of blood and there were no poachers. "Ser!" Whippy called pathetically, all watery eyes and whimpers.

She noticed he had blood dribbling down his chin.

"What—did you—_what—_" She was reduced to spluttering.

Lala proudly held up what appeared to be a servine's fang in her paw.

"What's going on—_Hattie_! What happened?!" Harry found them, tugging Jackster along like his scarf was a leash, Harper and Shady on his back. The sewaddle shuffled behind Lala, though she didn't look particularly guilty. "What were you doing here?"

"They were playing dentist," Ree grumbled, massaging her temples. Lala puffed out her chest.

It wasn't the best start to the day. In fact, it was just about the worst. It was ungodly early, she had to waste water cleaning out Whippy's mouth, and Lala was absolutely, one hundred percent _convinced _that she had done the right thing. Whippy didn't really seem to mind missing a tooth, though he might not have actually noticed it yet, and was more concerned with inspecting the tooth that had been pulled from his jaw.

Ree spent over an hour teaching her team how to brush their teeth. They had to use her toothbrush, but she could get another in town. Next week. With Whippy's cavity a non-issue, they really didn't have to return until the tournament, and her teeth would be fine for a couple of days. "Keep brushing," she commanded.

"Scott," Lala whined, drooping.

"You have teeth, so you're brushing them."

They had another nap before really waking up for the day, but it did little to improve Ree's mood. Or Jackster's. It was obvious he had been looking forward to returning to the city for a small break, and Lala had successfully taken that away from him. And Hattie. The appearance of the bug as an accomplice was a surprising one, but perhaps she should have seen it coming.

Harry spent most of the day scolding her. Ree knew Lala was the mastermind behind it, but it was poor consolation. Whippy still didn't seem bothered by it, however. "Dude, you only have three fangs now. Doesn't that bother you?" He responded by giving her a cheeky smile, showing off the gap. "Ugh. I hope you're all happy with yourselves."

"Si-si-si," Lala cackled.

"Of course you are."

At least they got more training done. Lala practiced her tailwind move, which made her little more than a blur as she raced past. More than once, she sped by with her breeze, messing up their clothes and hair, and in one instance, managed to get enough speed to completely knock Jackster over. Ree noticed that she still had some trouble turning at those speeds, but she figured out (after one too many crashes) that she could bounce off of trees like a ricochet if she could get the wind's direction changed fast enough.

Whippy had learned more moves in the past two weeks; he alternated practicing them, figuring out how to best use them himself. If Ree offered advice—or tried to—he would put his snout in the air and march off to practice alone. She usually rolled her eyes and let him be, but it was more than slightly aggravating. Neither he nor Lala wanted to listen to their trainer when it came to actually battling. _Still_. What kind of defective team was she raising?

Harper was much tamer. While it was clear that she was the weakest of the team, due to being out of the fighting since she had evolved, she practiced her stretching and roosted in her spare time. It was a healing move, sure, and like Lala, she had been using it to augment her natural healing processes. But unlike Lala, it was weaker; it seemed that grass had the advantage when it came to self-healing. She also got exceedingly good at detecting the others' attacks when they tried to sneak up on her or Ree, to the point that the trainer was convinced it had to be some sort of move.

When Lala wasn't whipping up a storm, she was using her powers for her usual mischief. Jackster still seemed to be her default target. Ree wasn't sure whether she was doing it to genuinely help him gain some strength and confidence, or if it was just because he was the easiest to pick on. He was the easiest to scare by far, yet he had the strength to defend himself if necessary so it meant that there were few actual injuries or accidents. The perfect victim.

"I'm not sure I give you enough credit sometimes," Ree remarked as she watched her whimsicott flip over Jackster's back, using him as a meat shield for the gust of wind that chased after her.

"Tran-quill," Harper said and rolled her eyes.

"Was that sarcasm?" the trainer asked, surprised. The bird resumed her prim preening without answering. "I didn't know you came in sarcasm mode. Do pokémon have the concept of sarcasm?"

"Whimsi," Lala replied.

"You don't count, I'm beginning to believe you may be a demon wearing a whimsicott as a disguise."

"Why don't you think Lala could simply be clever?" Harry asked, shooing the grass pokémon away from her blitzle. He butted his head up against hers with gratitude. Lala bounded over her sitting trainer in one go, using another gust to propel her forward.

"Harry, dear, are you _watching_ this?" Ree asked flatly and pointed up to where Lala ricocheted off a tree. She waved her little arms around and the wind whipped up from the south, catching her fluff like a sail and sending her up into the trees. "I have a flying grass pokémon. She managed to figure out how to use stun spore as an explosive in our first gym battle, she can calculate opponents' strength better than you or I, and she's basically becoming Jackster's _trainer_."

Lala's cackle drifted to them on the breeze she left in her wake.

"Pokémon can't be trainers, Ree," Harry responded. "You caught her fully evolved, didn't you? Only the smart pokémon grow up to evolve."

"She maintains that she's never had a trainer before whenever I ask, but I dunno. She seems pretty smart for a wild pokémon."

"There are pokémon out there smarter than humans. Wasn't there a study done on the average IQ stats for adults versus unevolved psychic pokémon? I think it came out a few years ago..."

"Blitz!" Jackster whinnied and butted his head against her shoulder again.

"Oh, thank you. You're smart, too," Harry said with a pleased smile. She adjusted his scarf and scratched his neck along his mane.

Ree sulkily returned to helping Harper stretch. Or watching Harper preen, waiting for her to finish before she was allowed to handle her wing again. The tranquill was the most even-mannered of their team, but it didn't mean she was always agreeable. If only.

Their remaining reprieve passed by in what felt like a flash. Unlike the cavity scare, Ree found herself becoming nervous at the prospect of returning to the city. Scott was there. And it depressed her; the thought of seeing her boyfriend should not have filled her with such anxiety.

Her pokémon were less worried this time around. Lala seemed pleased with their progress and Whippy was excited for their tournament. Harper was flapping more than ever, sometimes into the air if Ree didn't watch her every waking moment. She was getting worse.

She had to wonder if they would be so excited and unruly if Mitzi had still been with them.

Ree called it an early night. Harry had no complaints about that. Lala had been tougher than ever on Jackster and recruited Hattie again, too. Whippy had tried to copy her, only to end up biting off more than he could chew when he pissed off a rather large swanna.

"You're not going to have any tail leaf left if you keep going at this rate," she scolded halfheartedly. The servine nodded while she ran her fingers over part of his shredded leaf. He had gotten his snivy one bitten and clawed and torn, and it had grown back a bit, but he had awhile to go before evolving again and this was a lot of damage for one incident. But at least he looked contrite. "It's okay, mister. It'll heal up if we don't mess with it, okay?"

"Ser!" he agreed happily.

"Now tilt back," she commanded and before he could get away, she grabbed his snout and forced it back. He squirmed in her grasp. They both know he would win in the strength contest, but he wasn't wiggling enough to hurt her. "Looks like the swelling's completely gone now, at least." She didn't know what Lala and Hattie had done, but it had made his gums swell. Unless they were supposed to do that normally. Ree didn't know; she had never had a tooth pulled.

"Quill?" Harper inquired politely, craning her neck out in order to inspect Whippy's mouth. "Tranquill, tran."

"Sher," he said around Ree's fingers. She released him and he ran his tongue all along the area.

"Stop poking at it. We don't want it getting infected. I guess we'll just get it checked out back in town... Lala, are you done brushing your teeth yet?"

"Whim!"

"No you're not!"

Harry giggled from across the fire. "You're already a very good mother."

"Not really. My _children_ shouldn't be able to pull teeth behind my back. Or learn to fly, or become bullies." Ree set her chin on her first and looked over the two in her lap. The comparison was apt enough. She just didn't like it. It was easy to forget she was pregnant lately, as distracted as she was with other things, but 'mother' was the last word she wanted applied to her life. Even if it was for her own pokémon team.

"I'm almost done with this hat, and then I think I'll start something for your team. I'll have enough time to catch up on other orders in the town," Harry said, wisely changing the subject. Her needles clacked as she worked. "Ree, you already have a scarf, but I haven't made one for Whippy yet. Is that alright?"

"You're the one making it, don't ask me."

"Servine!"

"...Um, that sounded like a yes to me," the redhead said with another faint chuckle. "With the weather getting colder, you may want to make sure he does bundle up sometimes. Grass pokémon don't like the cold much, and he's a reptile."

"Yeah, I know. It just hasn't been that bad yet..." She tried to imagine him dealing with snow. All she could think of were servinecicles.

"I still have a bit of dark green left, or it could have several colors," Harry said with some of that excitement that she only really got when talking about knitting. Ree couldn't help but smile fondly. Jackster nudged her knitting bag over to her and Shady hopped over for light, illuminating the balls of yarn she still had. "Whippy, what colors would you like?"

He looked up to Ree, as if asking permission. "You can pick them. Two."

"Um, more isn't a problem—"

"I want to get extra sleep tonight before we head back. Keep it short and simple. He may be colorblind anyway, who knows?"

"Vine!" he whined, shooting her a betrayed look. Lala wandered back into camp, toothbrush still stuck—wrong end out—in her mouth. She plopped down next to Harper, on Ree's knee, and tried to brush her beak. Ree quickly separated them before a squabble broke out.

"A-Are you sure you want these colors?"

"Ser."

Taking the toothbrush from Lala, lest it be used as a weapon, she shoved it in her backpack and rolled out their sleeping bag. While Ree was busy, Harper flapped into the air with a cheery chirp. She sounded like a schoolgirl sneaking out of class for the first time. It had been cute the first time Ree had heard it, but less so after a dozen times. The brunette caught her at thigh-height and held her against her hip as she kicked her sleeping bag the rest of the way open.

"Tranquill," Harper huffed.

"Tomorrow we can practice some flight," Ree soothed. She sat down and set her bird down. Lala began making a nest of leaves and grasses next to the bag. Whippy still sat beside Harry, watching as she finished the hat, tucking in the ends and then wearing it to show it off for him.

"I'll start your scarf in the morning," Harry told him and he nodded seriously.

The girls bedded down, pokémon out with them, and in the distance, a pair of pidove called. Harper whistled back and they fell silent. The moon was bright, nearly full, and it wasn't too cold of a night. All in all, a peaceful slumber.

A peaceful slumber until eleven forty-seven, at which point Ree awoke to something with teeth latched onto her cheek.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Another rude awakening for our girls. Ree sees opportunity in this attack, however, especially in preparation for Driftveil's battling tournament. Harry, on the other hand, is _not_ looking forward to it. For all of Lala's plotting, Jackster is still a blitzle, Hattie is still a sewaddle, and Harry is far from confident about their competitive battling skills. (Jackster even less so.) What's a girl to do?


	25. Of Shocks

"I don't see how the hell you come up with these names," Ree said, patting Mordecai on the neck. The sawsbuck flicked an ear, tolerating her presence.

"I don't, either!" Maya replied hotly. She gestured to her leavanny, who paused in her preening to regard them royally. "I've gotten used to Lili—"

"Lilith," Ree corrected, and she and her (old) pokémon shared a grin.

"She won't listen to me if I call her that," Maya said and crossed her arms. Lilith returned to running her claws over her antenna. "I've gotten used to her. She's a good pokémon. We trust each other, and I love her. But—it's just _not_ what I would have named a sewaddle."

"I wouldn't have called a deerling _Mordecai_. Or," Ree caught the floating reuniclus out of the space between them, "_anything_ Edgar. That name is three centuries too old for either of us."

"It's _not_ that old of a name," she retorted and snatched her pokémon out of her sister's grasp. Pokémon training didn't really come between them; like all good siblings, they just used it as fodder for more arguments. Such as Maya training predominantly grass types, and their wildly differing naming choices. "And I like her, I really do, but did you _have_ to get her attached to _Zara_?"

The maractus, Maya's Christmas present, perked up her long ears at the sound of her voice.

Ree broke into another wide grin. "If you had been _on time_, you wouldn't have given me time to get her used to it." Maya had been four days late in her return journey, held up by a bad snowstorm. Ree had spent those days holding mock battles between Zara and Aubie.

"It's just... I like elegant names. Refined names. _Sophisticated_ names." Maya waved an arm over her team. Bo was pushing it, but Mordecai, Edgar, and Talia were certainly prim and proper.

"Lilith is _plenty_ proper," Ree replied. The leavanny nodded in agreement.

"But she _doesn't_ let me call her that!" Maya cried in dismay. Talia giggled, until Lilith threw a snowball at her for it. The lilligant fumed and would have started a fight—secretly, Ree would have paid good money to see Maya's properly trained and oh so special team degrade into a snowball fight—but Maya interceded. "So I get Lili and Zara..."

"Just think of them as exotic additions to your sophisticated team. Lilith, from the days of years gone by, given to you by a long lost and loving sister, and Zara, queen of the desert sands and heat!" There was a pause. Maya visibly braced herself. "Because she's from the desert. Because I named her after—"

"I _know_ she's a video game character! I just wish I could have named her something... else. Like... I don't even know. I give up. I guess the silver lining here is that I have a full team. So you have no excuse to try to interject more clashing names into my team."

"Think I can get 'Mor' to catch on?" Ree asked the sawsbuck beside her. He snorted and shook his head. "Worth a shot."

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty-Five**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Shocks

-.-.-

Sharp little teeth pressed into her cheek. It was a firm pressure, not enough to cut skin, but a definite threat. Sleepy Ree was not the sharpest Ree, and it took so long for it to even register as 'danger' (beyond the odd and startling sensation) that the teeth eased off on their own. They withdrew but the pressure remained. The thing on her cheek sucked and licked at her.

That sensation was a little more familiar, but one she normally attributed to Scott. Registering 'Scott' in her sleepy brain, unlike the teeth, gave her a kick of alarm that finally had her awake.

"What the _hell_?!" Her voice came out as a hoarse screech, but it was enough to get the situation moving. Whippy jerked in the sleeping bag and Harper, right next to her head, awoke to find the mystery kisser in front of her beak.

"Qu-Quill?!"

"I don't—_ouch_!" The thing zapped her, a sharp little jolt that had half her face tingling afterward. "Get the fuck off of me!" Without thinking further of the implications of the zap, she grabbed it with her hand and tried to pull it off.

She got her hand shocked for her efforts. Her hand, almost numb and painful where there was still feeling, came away and became rather useless. The teeth returned to her cheek. Harry awoke across the camp, blearily questioning, and Whippy tried to fight his way to the top of the sleeping bag. Harper wasn't going to wait. She lunged forward, before Ree rolled away, and pulled it off with her beak.

It squealed, flailing for a moment, and then discharged electricity with a flash. Harper squawked and released it, her feathers ruffled and looking a little dazed overall. The creature wasn't very large, about the length of Ree's forearm, and was white with big, dark eyes.

Ree didn't get a better look than that due to the fact that it let loose another bolt of static, the bright flash destroying her night vision.

Another squawk and then a sharp gust of wind. Whippy finally fought free of the sleeping bag, slithering out to stand protectively between Ree and the now distanced pokémon. Ree rubbed at her eyes. "Wh-What the hell is that thing?"

"Is that a pokémon?" Harry asked as she woke Shady up. The litwick dipped her head into the coals of their fire, and flames sprung up, illuminating the scene. Ree swore again and covered her eyes with her palms.

"Whippy—someone just take care of it!"

"Ser!"

As she blinked the spots out of her vision, she could see Whippy wrestling with the pokémon. Her first impression hadn't been wrong—it wasn't standing. Or sitting. Or flying. It was just... floating, and he was having difficulties trying to pin it down. Its sparking had already weakened considerably, until it was just barely glowing and panting to boot.

Whippy continued to try to drag it to the ground to subdue it, but it wouldn't budge out of the air. Harper called encouragement, and he used his vines, but not even that would do it. At one point, he was actually balancing on it and they were still aloft. Eventually, he gave up and simply wrapped the exhausted thing in one of his vines, using it as a leash.

He brought it over to Ree and saluted. "Servine-ser!"

"Thanks, mister." She rubbed at her face. It still felt a little tender. Harper settled down, but her eyes remained fixed on the other pokémon. "Wait, where's Lala?"

Lala was still in her nest. She snored loudly and rolled over.

Ree narrowed her eyes at her. "Figures. At least all of that extra running around took its toll. Well, thank you, you _two_, for being brave knights for me."

"Ree, what is it?" Harry called, still in her sleeping bag. She had both ends of Jackster's scarf in her hands; the blitzle was watching with large eyes, clearly otherwise wishing to bolt. Hattie, too, was awake and watching with curiosity. At least hers were all awake.

"I dunno, a pokémon," she said with a yawn.

"Ty!" it squeaked.

"Let me find my pokédex, okay, because that doesn't help at all." Whippy helped her fish through her bag, using her cell phone as a light since the firelight wouldn't reach, and she eventually found the red machine. She yawned again as it booted up, as the pokémon gave another pathetic spark, and then the light came on. She tapped the screen, pointed the camera at the interloper, and waited for the information to load up. "Tynamo, electric type. Figures."

"Oh, they're found on the other side of Driftveil. In that, um, cave-tunnel..." Harry shifted Jackster's scarf and crawled closer. "Chargestone? Sparkstone? Um, something like that..."

"We're on _this_ side of Driftveil. And it says here that they usually travel in groups..." Ree looked around nervously. One was easy enough, but a dozen may be more problematic. The forest was silent all around them, however, save for Lala's soft snoring. "Well, if that doesn't prompt a hoard of shocking little shits swooping down on us at midnight, I don't know what will."

"I-I don't think the universe works that way—"

"Tynamo, hmm." Traveling with Harry had given her insight into just how useful electric pokémon could be. She even had a special collar for Jackster to wear that could act as a charger for smaller electronic devices. He could start fires (if done properly), and, of course, he took care of bird pokémon like they were made of paper. Granted, he was a big blitzle and this was a little tynamo, but they evolved, didn't they? Ree had a hard time believing something that small and cute wouldn't evolve.

And, perhaps she wanted to prove she _could_ catch another pokémon. Their team would go on. It would _have_ to go on, she ruthlessly reminded herself.

"Ser, servine-vine?" Whippy asked incredulously, seemingly just catching onto his trainer's plan.

"Quill," Harper replied, her tone cold.

"Just hold it for a moment longer. Let me find a pokeball..." She rummaged around in her bag again, once again using her phone for light.

"You're going to catch it?" Harry asked. Jackster's ears perked up and he stopped tugging so often on the scarf.

"Yeah. We need a little more variety, and it doesn't seem too evil or anything. Unlike some slumbering monsters. Anyway, there's a flying type gym, isn't there? We'd need something for that, Harper couldn't take on the entire gym by herself..." She was pleased with how practical she sounded. This was business. She caught Harper nodding in firm agreement. Whippy shuffled his feet and didn't seem so keen on the idea.

Ree's fingers brushed the urn and she stiffened. It felt like another electrical shock.

_Breathe_, she thought, forcing her hand to move again. She reached carefully around the urn and found one of the little minimized pokeballs that were always rolling free in her backpack. The sooner they moved on, the better. Ree had no qualms about forcing them past this particular bump; their team needed more firepower. No self-respecting trainer would willingly limit her own team.

"Okay, let it go."

Whippy's vine slithered away from it and it drooped in the air, though it didn't fall completely. That would have to be investigated. The pokeball snapped it up and it hardly rocked. A ding, and it was really that easy. Ree's hand still felt numbed when she picked it up and connected it to the pokédex.

"Female, thirteen months old, half a pound and nine inches... She knows four moves already. Electric ones, which is good. Another teammate for the tourney, so that's good, right?" With another click, she unhooked the pokeball from the machine, rolling it along the ground in front of her. Not how she had imagined adding to her team, but it could be sorted out in the morning. The adrenaline was subsiding and the dark of the night was making her sleepy again.

Or maybe she just didn't want to think about replacing the fourth spot in her roster.

-.-.-

It had been a hectic and downright chaotic week in Driftveil City, but Scott had to give Clay props for how he'd handled everything. Well, everything prior to last night.

Team Plasma was formidable enough. While the group wasn't nearly as strong as it was years ago, the little groups popping up occasionally to call together rallies and wreak minor terrorist acts, this past assault had been the biggest he had ever seen. Not exactly terrifying, but well-coordinated and easy to read.

When half a dozen pokémon poachers, thieves, and other criminals had been captured and arrested in a sting, they had swooped in to secure the building. It wasn't totally alienating; they only demanded that the criminals' pokémon be released (or, incredibly, put into _foster care_; that created more than one sympathizer in the news that evening). The public generally stayed away from the area and a couple trainers watched from rooftops.

Clay had refused the dozen Plasma grunts' demands. That may have been due to the fact that they also wanted permission to execute three of the criminals (two of whom were under sixteen). Scott had spent the day idly watching newscasts after the round in the tournament, wondering why they simply didn't kill them while they had the power. They simply seized the building, battled off anyone who tried to approach for anything but talking, and politely asked permission to release all of the pokémon and kill three people.

The gym leader had refused, citing things like trials and due process, as well as maintaining that it would be unfair of the pokémon until they could get everything sorted out. Aside from participating in the tournament himself, the man stayed by the building every time Scott saw him. He was vigilant and devoted to his city's safety, but the blond boy hadn't seen them as any kind of threat at the time.

And _they_ weren't the threat. The sociopaths with the guns and stronger pokémon were.

Scott had texted Ree then, prying to see if she was still in the city or not (he had a sneaking suspicion, proven true, that she wasn't). The group of four and their teams pulled control from Team Plasma, holding them hostage, and when they started addressing each other with pokémon names, he knew they had problems. Clay stubbornly refused to cancel the tournament, since it was in its semifinals, and dropped out in order to handle the matter personally.

Scott really did admire the man's sheer audacity. He took a pickaxe to a gun fight. He enlisted willing trainers from the center to help storm the building, but that only got things bloody. To the man's credit, he backed off again immediately and ordered no one near it until the situation was taken care of.

"I can't believe _these_ people are in Unova!" Maya had called him that evening, fuming. The media was trying to be hush-hush about the 'mysterious' terrorists, but it was clear that they were Sayre followers. Maya's reaction only proved it.

"There's only four, and it seems as if one of them doesn't have full control of his team. This will get sorted out once someone sneaks in."

"They have _guns_, Scottie. These people are crazy, you haven't seen them firsthand."

"I'm sure it won't come to that."

It came to that.

The local media caught on fast enough to not broadcast _anything_, but national news didn't have the same censors put in place, and that morning, just before breakfast, it leaked out that Nicholas Sayre was dead.

Again, Scott was impressed. He had only _just_ gotten the news when the commotion started. That time, he couldn't resist seeing things closer, and headed out to see what the situation had degraded into. Maya had already left him two messages by the time he hit the police barricade, guarded by Unovan Field Operatives and a hydreigon. They weren't messing around.

Alder came down personally with Grimsley in tow to help Clay. Two of the followers were critically injured, another had a broken arm, and one surrendered after seeing her compatriot gutted by a bisharp. One of the Team Plasma people had been killed and another was found unconscious, both presumably attacked by the followers, but everyone else was okay. Not forty-five minutes had passed since the news had broke before Alder was sneaking out of the view of the cameras, as per usual, and Clay was trying to talk Grimsley into paying some sort of bet they'd made.

Scott took a picture of the elite four member and gym leader to send to Maya. "_see, its all okay and ree didn't get into a __bit of trouble!_"

Once Alder and Grimsley left, late that afternoon after being coerced into giving statements, new Team Plasma members retaliated. Scott distinctly remembered facepalming. They were far less polite that time around, springing their remaining comrades and attacking the hospital where the followers were at, killing at least one. And then they went back for the captured criminals that started the whole thing.

Clay responded at once again. Fearlessly but not recklessly. He personally guarded the hospital until everyone was moved (to a far less publicized location), and then went for the new building. He had evidently gotten permission from Alder to tolerate less bullshit in general, since he and a gym trainer took control of the building by themselves.

"I'd kill the criminals _myself_ just to get some quiet around here!"

"Scott, you shouldn't be saying such things right now—"

"I'd _love_ to see what kind of asshats they have in there, if everyone and their mother wants them so badly. You'd think it was Nick Sayre himself!"

The death threats earned him ire. The swearing earned him attention. The last reference earned him a seat in front of a lieutenant with a temper.

And then, the fact that he was hanging around in Driftveil while owning the badge got him thrown into a cell for the night.

Scott wholeheartedly blamed Clay for overreacting to the trainers' annoyance with the goings-on. He knew he wasn't in any _real_ trouble—he knew what that looked like, thanks to Ree—but he was separated from his team and his phone. He knew Maya would throw a fit. Would Ree notice his absence?

He sighed and counted the other 'inmates'. Three he recognized from the center. They were in actual jail cells, with metal bars and walls and everything, a dinky little one instead of the fancy prison that had been attacked. "What're you in for?" he asked, sitting down on the cot.

"Me and Andy thought it'd be fun to try to pick our pokémon codenames," the teenage girl in the cell next to his replied dryly. An older guy in the cell on her other side chuckled with obvious embarrassment.

"That's just stupid."

"I guess pokémon nicknames are the new bomb threat," she lamented.

"I think it's wiser just to not talk about anything related to Sinnoh or pokémon or Plasma for the next week," Scott said. It was just past eight and he wasn't tired. Great.

"Were you ever worried during all this?"

"Nah. We have some pretty competent gym leaders, and that's what UFOs are for, right?"

"Clay ordered them down."

"They were still there. Didn't you try to go see the building?" Scott asked.

She shrugged. "I could get _pretty_ close before anyone started looking at me weird. They could've had backups in the city and no one would've known until they slaughtered a city block."

He and another girl, across the hallway, snorted. "Puh-_lease_," she groaned. "They didn't have enough manpower for that, y'know? That and look at how fast Alder arrived. I bet he was just waiting for the sign to come down. If people had started dying, he would've gone on a rampage on his own."

"Just what we need," Scott added sarcastically.

"I think they were more worried about the trainers than either group," the other boy, Andy, piped up. "Look what trainer riots have done to the other regions. Clay didn't want to start anything if he could help it, Lana."

"Didn't expect Team Plasma to retaliate like that, though. I haven't heard of them doing anything that violent since I've started training," Lana, between them, replied.

_Ah, forced trainer bonding_, Scott mused, smiling to himself. The last time he'd been through this had also been due to illegal pokémon activity, come to think. And also involved some amount of anti-government complaining. _Maybe Sinnoh's criminals were onto something there._

He started ignoring the talks when they turned towards the logistics of taking over and holding a building. He grudgingly lessened his blame for Clay. Maybe talks like that really were the last thing that needed to be heard. He personally doubted that anyone in there was about to become a mass murderer or a pokémon poacher, but who knew what sort of ideological arguments they could have started if in a larger crowd. Or without bars to separate them.

The next morning, as the night batch were filling out paperwork and getting the last of their lecturing out of the way, a pair were brought in, evidently early arrests for the day. It was a UFO who brought them in, together, too. Scott wasn't the only one craning his neck to watch as they were escorted in.

"Tori?" Lana asked incredulously. It was loudly enough to catch most everyone's attention—it was already crowded, and the lieutenant had them filling out their forms at tables side-by-side—but the blue-eyed blonde brought in with the UFO was the one who jumped and turned. "I thought you were the good girl! What'd you get brought in for?"

She stared at them for a moment, and then her eyes fell on Scott. He was hard pressed to think of any other time he'd seen someone's face drain of color so quickly. "Th-This morning, there was... it was nothing."

"Not nothing, these two were caught up in a fistfight downtown," the UFO said severely and gave them both a little push to get them working again. It was a small place, though, and they were kept waiting while new forms were brought out. Ah, paperwork, the best conversation continuer in the world.

Scott, perplexed by her look, tried to recognize her. Absolutely nothing came to mind. She looked to be younger than him, so likely not a classmate, and she didn't sound like she was from Castelia or that area, even. "I wasn't fighting! I was trying to stop—trying to break up the fight!" Tori exclaimed. The boy beside her chuckled without humor.

"Until we get this sorted out, you two can cool it down here."

"Why does a fight involve cops now?" Lana demanded, paperwork all but forgotten. Most of last night's batch of delinquents had similarly stopped, listening in without shame.

"It didn't involve pokémon battling for starters," the UFO replied. Lana's glare hardened and he groaned, rolling his eyes beneath his goggles. "It _did_ involve a knife, and I'm in no mood for violent bullshit right now. So you lot—if I find any of you have anything sharper than a cooking knife, you're coming right back in!"

Normally blades just got confiscated from trainers; it wasn't terribly unusual for them to arm themselves with things other than pokémon. It wasn't exactly smiled upon, but neither was it completely forbidden. Tori shifted uncomfortably, and then said loudly, without direction, "Y-You know, you should all leave Driftveil. And tell your friends to stay away from the city, too. It's just not safe until this cools down, right? It'd be safer to just—stay away and not get into trouble."

Was it just him, or did she glance at him? Scott tapped his pen against the table, narrowing his eyes back at her. He still didn't know who she was, but if she was trying to insinuate that he was a troublemaker... Okay, granted, he'd had his fair share. But nothing too bad.

"Who're _you_ trying to protect? That's unlike you," the guy beside her asked, speaking for the first time. He still didn't sound thrilled with their situation.

"It's unlike _you_ to work in broad daylight!" she snapped back. He shrugged and looked away again. "Lana, I'm headed out after this, so this is goodbye, okay? I—you should leave, too."

"What's got her so spooked?" Andy murmured. Only Scott was close enough to hear him, or else Lana completely ignored him.

"Can we _stop_ with all of this rampant paranoia now?!" the unfortunate field operative groused, even going so far as to stomp his boot. "We have this situation under control, and it's taken care of. Just so long as we don't have loudmouth kid trainers and idiots with weapons running about, this will be forgotten by the time the finals roll around."

The other boy's laugh sounded far more amused than it did earlier.

The night batch were turned loose onto the streets once more, and they passed another kid—a howling, freckled preteen—carried in by the scruff of his neck on their way out. Andy excused himself as soon as he had his team back, but the rest of them wandered back towards the center with growling stomachs and rumpled clothes. A couple of them were already placing calls, and a boy went straight to the nurse on duty for a check-up for his sick liepard. He had done nothing but complain about it the night before.

"Yay, roommate shuffle," Lana said with a groan. Since the center was so busy with the influx of trainers, and since they hadn't been there the night before, some of them had gotten kicked out as the rooms had been filled. "Aha, yes! Tori saved my space for me!"

"Lucky, I got booted," Scott said with a grimace. He didn't mind much. It was only a minor hassle to apply for a new room. "Say, who was that girl?"

"Tori? She's been my roommate for the past... four nights? Five. Would've been five last night," she said, counting off on her fingers. "Good girl, but a little stuffy. Why, you know her?"

"No, I don't. She normally act like that?"

"No, she's usually a lot calmer. Early to bed, early to rise, really proper gal. She's about the last person I would have expected to get taken in for a fight, but it'd make sense if she had just been trying to break it up..." Lana trailed off, head tilted.

A blaring ringtone prevented him from asking further about them. Excusing himself, he ducked down a quieter hallway of the center, surprised to see it wasn't a call from either Majors sister, but from Carly. "Hello?"

"Okay, Scott, you've had your vacation. But we need you back here _now_."

"Nice to hear from you, too, Carly," he replied. Normally he was used to her straightforward approach to conversation, but the long night and stress of the past few days frayed his nerves. "Oh, I'm fine, by the way. Just the usual assortment of dire trainer dangers, you know the drill."

"Can it! We booked a gig as an opener for Damned Ditto when they play in Castelia next month!" Carly barked.

"...Wait, Damned Ditto? _The_ Damned Ditto?"

"Yes, _that_ Damned Ditto! It'll be us and some Castelian band opening, and we _cannot_ afford to pass this up! You are getting back here so I can run you ragged, getting you back into shape, and we have to practice _Famous_ more—"

Scott tightened his grip on the phone. "I—that's really great, Carly. But... This seems really abrupt. I still haven't caught up with Ree—"

"You two _still_ fighting?"

"We're _not_ fighting! It's just... complicated," he said, pleased with his neutral choice of words. ...Because it totally didn't sound like they were fighting if he called it _complicated_. Scott sighed and ran a hand through his bangs. "Have you told Ree about this?"

"No. Why would I? This is _our_ band—anyway, I haven't talked to her since her birthday. Don't drag me into this. Scott, if this was some smaller gig, I wouldn't even be telling you. We've already played once down at Sahara Nights without you."

He felt hurt to know that, though he had given them permission before he'd left. It wasn't like he was the lead singer, and Bryce could handle a guitar just as well as he could. But Ree...

"We haven't finalized anything, but I know Daisy is pushing for _Airplanes_ to be one of our numbers, and you're the only one who can do Hayley's part. And—we just wanna know, Scott. Are you really going to become a trainer again? A full-time trainer? Or is this just something—a fling, or something? Is this just because of Ree?"

"It's not _because_ of Ree, don't sound like you're blaming her," he snapped on reflex. Carly grumbled over the line. "I... don't think so? I don't really know what I'm doing right now, Carly."

"Well... We could really use you on this. I feel like we can really break into something bigger if this goes well. We can take this more seriously. I don't _want_ to make you choose, that makes me sound like a bitch, but yeah, maybe it'll come up in the future."

"I. Um." He was already out of the tournament. He didn't need Clay's badge. And what did he have of Ree? Text messages, a picture of her servine's gums, and awkward phone calls. Maybe giving her some space would be good for her; she had already reached back out to him after he had eased off.

And Ree had yet to miss any of his performances.

"...Yeah, Carly. I'll get back there as soon as I can," Scott told her.

-.-.-

"So... Hm." Ree, cross-legged in the grass, leaned forward. The tynamo wriggled up through the air like she was swimming, and then pecked her nose. She wrinkled it in response. "Let's just lay off of the electricity for awhile. At least until I figure out how much charge I can stand without worrying about..."

Harry wasn't listening, really. Not eavesdropping. But Ree had hardly left camp, and her voice tended to carry... The redheaded trainer looped Jackster's scarf once more around his neck. They'd be in Driftveil by that evening, and the day after, the tournament started. "You've been keeping a charge in the wool, right?"

"Bli," he replied and sparked. The green scarf crackled along with him. Harry sighed, unable to help her relief. Mareep wool was so handy, too bad it was so expensive... If only there were other types of material that were so helpful to all types of pokémon.

"I suppose I could make really small scarves for you two..." Harry looked over at her other two pokémon. Hattie put her snout up in the air.

"Sew-waddle?"

"Y-Yeah, I still need to finish his..." She was making Whippy's large enough that it should still be reasonably sized for him as a serperior, but it was mostly guesswork. She had never seen one personally before. "But it doesn't take me that long to finish scarves anymore. They're easy," Harry added with a nod.

"Hey Harry, how much did that collar thing cost?" Ree called over.

It took her a moment to place what she meant by 'collar thing'. "O-Oh! Um, mine was an older model, and I bought it secondhand, but it wasn't terribly expensive... It was under two thousand, but not by much. Still, it was a one-time investment, and I've only ever had to fix it once."

That was mostly because she didn't use it all that often. Charging her phone and pokédex in pokémon centers usually carried her through the bulk of her journeying, and it wasn't as if she used either very often. But it _was_ very reliable. Ree nodded and turned back towards the tynamo floating before her.

"Blitzle," Jackster mumbled, flicking his ears.

"Oh, I know you don't like to wear it. But it's not all that often, right?" She scratched his neck, along his mane, and that seemed to please him. "Hmm... I guess I could make a scarf out of something very flammable, and that could be some sort of one-time power-up for Shady?"

"Flammable?"

Harry hadn't been aware Ree was still listening. She blushed, and then nodded, hesitantly. "I was just thinking aloud, sorry."

"It's always good to have an ace in the hole, especially when it concerns some sort of raw power. I mean, think of Lala and her stun spore. It's gotten us out of fire battles. I wonder if a spark would start it..." She reached out and pushed on the tynamo. She squeaked, but wouldn't float any lower. The brunette and her servine seemed absolutely fascinated by this, even if the electric pokémon wasn't quite as happy with the curiosity.

Still, their detached, low-key sort of scientific approach was... cute. Ree scooped up the tynamo and she squealed, hovering above Ree's hand. Not as far as the distance between her and the ground, but a difference anyway. Ree tried tossing her into the air, and she floated back down after another excited squeal.

"I have a levitating, leech-y, 'lectric... hmm. I need another L word."

"Are you going to name her something beginning with L?" Harry asked in amusement.

"I don't know. I've looked over my name list twice now, but nothing seems to jump out at me. I want it to be something... special. I hadn't known a pokémon this weird existed."

"Ty!" she cried, clearly affronted.

"Sorry, special then."

"Ty." Strangely, she didn't seem to like that word usage, either.

"Different?"

"_Ty_!"

Harry noticed since the bird was positioned behind her trainer, but Harper cocked her head to the side suddenly and got a confused look on her face. Ree continued on, unaware and growing frustrated, "You are _clearly_ different here. You don't touch the ground—you _can't—_and you spark and you look like a fish or something—you're like... I don't know! Some sort of bizarre mixture of things you shouldn't be."

"Um, if she didn't like you calling her weird, why would that make her feel better...?"

"Well, now it's a matter of intellectual pride," Ree pouted. "First, my L noun escapes me, and now... Do you _know_ how many romance novels I've read in my life?! I should be able to come up with a synonym that doesn't offend her delicate tastes!"

"Maybe she doesn't want to be different. She looks like she wants to join your team."

"She _is_ part of the team, but we need a name, and it has to be something that fits her."

Harry looked over at Whippy, Lala, and Harper. Even Mitzi... Ree's naming scheme was beyond Harry's mere mortal comprehension, to be sure.

"I just want it to be a special name," Ree added. The tynamo sparked again, zapping her too-close finger. "The _name_ will be special," she hissed.

"Tyna."

"Servine!"

"Scott," Lala added. Whippy laughed, trying in vain to cover his mouth with his claws.

"You guys suck at naming more than I do. You said these things aren't really found around here, so I could potentially get the jump on people, right? Thus, she must have a name that is equally surprising and unique."

Actually, Harry had said no such thing. But it was little surprise that sleepy Ree had had selective hearing. "Then pick a name that starts with something unusual. It—It would be a start, anyway. X, or Y, or Z. Maybe a vowel like U or O. Q has some potential, maybe? Um..."

"Well, I can look over the list for fun letters as we walk again."

As they traveled back toward Driftveil, Ree made sure her new pokémon didn't stray far. Lala attempted to bring her pokémon to battle, but their trainer shooed them away. (Harry wasn't pleased when the whimsicott brought them to Jackster instead, though she ought to have seen that coming.) In between calling out random names for feedback and testing the tynamo's levitational skills, Ree stayed oddly quiet.

It wasn't that she was acting different, but she sort of was. Harry couldn't put her finger on it. She seemed distant, interested and engaged with the tynamo and yet utterly detached from her. New pokémon were always difficult to get used to, she knew that, but she hoped Ree would manage. It would kill her if Ree quit training because of Mitzi's death.

She didn't knit as she walked (although she did have such a talent), but instead let her mind wander, keeping an ear open for Jackster and Ree. Shady was asleep in her pokeball, and Hattie was taking turns between riding on Jackster and trying to ride on the tynamo. Evidently, the fun new thing was to see if any of the pokémon could get the poor newbie to touch the ground. No victors yet.

_Ree will do better in that tournament than I will, but she only has four pokémon. One of them is new, and poor Harper can't fly._

Harper hopped down off of Ree's shoulder, flapping both wings quite well, and landed on the tynamo. They sunk about an inch and stubbornly hovered above the ground. The tynamo gave a spark, enough to earn a squawk and some ruffled feathers, and Harper flapped back into the air. "Harper, not yet!"

_...She shouldn't be flying much_, Harry mentally amended. _But I'm not much better. Hattie won't evolve until Jackster does, otherwise she probably would be a leavanny by now, wouldn't she? Poor Jackster... Maybe Lala is good for him?_

It was hard to trust the whimsicott. She just seemed... sort of _mean_ at times. Jackster's confidence had improved, if only through sheer force of Lala's will, and he was certainly a stronger battler. But he still spooked so easily, and he preferred not to battle unless Harry was somehow involved. He had zapped Lala at one point, who had thought it'd be a good idea to target the redheaded girl in an effort to spur him into action, and he still chased away wild pokémon who got too close to her.

_What if we got another teammate?_

Harry hadn't put much thought into it. She wanted a mareep, but that was for wool, not strength. Four pokémon was still very manageable, and it didn't have to be anything large or ferocious. A bird would be handy, and it could help her deliver things. She could shear whimsicott, too, and bouffalant, though she found the latter's fur a little too coarse for most projects. Zoroark and stoutland could be sheared on the odd occasion; at least, she had seen things spun from their fur in shops before.

"Ugh, I still think about a new pokémon in terms of knitting materials," Harry lamented. Jackster nickered in sympathy. The redhead gave her starter a weak smile. She had gotten him because he was sweet and cute. He had nothing to do with knitting or yarn. Hattie didn't, either, and Shady was related to her grammy's chandelure. When had she lost the desire for pokémon for the sake of having pokémon?

"Unika!" Ree suddenly crowed, nearly upending Harper from her shoulder as she waved her naming book wildly. "It means unique! That is the best fucking name ever."

"Uni... ka...?" Harry repeated.

"I'm tired of looking at this thing. There were no good L names, and this one can be shortened to Uni." Harry wasn't sure why Ree _wanted_ to shorten it to Uni. But the brunette seemed pleased with her choice and dug out her pokédex to make it official.

"...Ty," Unika agreed with a thoughtful bob.

Maybe Harry really had lost touch with the training world. Maybe getting into a battling tournament would be good for her.

-.-.-

"I-I don't think this is a good idea," Harry squeaked.

"We'll be fine. Three on three battles, so you're good!" It also meant that Ree had an excuse not to use Harper. The tranquill wouldn't be pleased, and she was flying around already, but sending her into battle made Ree nervous. Just a little more time, she told herself.

The line moved forward as Harry continued her fretting. "But—oh my gosh, Shady is still so young, and Hattie is a tiny pokémon! What if—what if it comes down to Hattie and a haxorus? Or a mandibuzz? She'll be _eaten_!"

"Use Jackster against the mandibuzz."

"That's _not_ what I meant!" the freckled trainer cried shrilly.

"Look, Harry," Ree said and placed a hand on each shoulder, "you'll do fine. These are trainers around our level, not part of the elite four. Jackster is strong, and your other two—well, Hattie's smart, isn't she? And Shady's a fire pokémon! Just have her burn up the arena if you can't get out of it."

"Her fire isn't that strong," she whispered.

"You'll be _fine_!" Ree insisted, and then the line disappeared. "Ree Majors."

"How many pokémon to register?" They could register up to six pokémon they could use throughout the tournament, even if the rounds were only three on three.

"...Four." A round a day, and Harper was getting stronger and stronger. Ree would rather have her available just in case. She rolled over her pokeballs and they set them in the machine, and then Ree stepped aside as Harry registered her team. Most of the trainers looked to be around Harry's age, in their early and mid teens, though there were some adults and younger kids scattered in between the waiting crowds. Very few pairs and groups, however, and several trainers gave the girls dirty looks as they walked past. "Jeez, what's crawled up everyone's asses?"

"I don't think stronger trainers like to travel with others. I-I know rivalries are common with older trainers," Harry answered in a sulky mumble.

"Ugh. Well, with a crowd this size, at least it will be harder for Scott to find me." Just in case, Ree pulled her hat lower on her hair.

"Will participants of the first section of round one please find their arenas? It will be starting shortly," the intercom announced. Harry paled.

"Come on, I'll be your cheerleader!" Ree said and grabbed her before she could impersonate her blitzle. Her battle wasn't until later, so she got to play moral support until then. Driftveil's new stadium was large, but even it couldn't hold hundreds of battles simultaneously.

"I-I should just forfeit—"

"_Hell_ no! At least make your opponent sweat!"

Ree wasn't allowed to accompany her onto the field, but managed to muscle her way to the front of the crowd. The battle arena, national standard size, was split into two for the first round battles; apparently, once the number of participants thinned, they would use the full fields for single battles.

She scanned the mass of people for that familiar head of blond hair, but she didn't see him anywhere. He didn't know Harry's name, but he had seen her before. Would he even try to look for her, or was he waiting for Ree's battle? ...Come to think of it, she hadn't talked to him in several days.

"And... begin!" She snapped back to attention at the call and Harry, with shaking knees, released Jackster. Ree cheered, perhaps awkwardly, and then gave a real scream of joy when she saw that her opponent had released a dewott.

"You can do this! Fuck him up!"

Harry blushed furiously and several people around her turned to glare. But Ree felt vindicated when the first round went to Harry; Jackster had gotten lucky early on when the dewott had become paralyzed, and he had managed to finish it off before it made it to him.

Her opponent put out a darmanitan, and after a beat, Harry kept Jackster out. He was just faster than it, and it turned into a sort of tag—the fire pokémon tried to catch him with flaming fists, growling and getting progressively more and more frustrated, and Jackster would whinny and neigh and spark and kick. It would have been a good strategy, especially after one lucky kick that sent the darmanitan tumbling with a swollen lip, had it not suddenly turned to stone.

"...Um," Harry said and Jackster slowed to a trot, eyes wide. The darmanitan statue remained immobile.

Its trainer, however, broke into a feral grin. "Now it's time to heat things up. Incinerate!"

Jackster practically shrieked when the statue suddenly blew out a jet of fire at him. Harry danced back, away from the wall of flame, and the blitzle ran about the smaller arena, trying in vain to avoid the worst of it. The end of his scarf caught fire and he reared. "Bli-ii-ii!"

He managed to put out his scarf once the attack died down, stomping it down, and then nosed the burnt end with sad little snuffles. "It's okay, Jackster!" Harry called encouragingly, but he hardly looked up. "Just—it doesn't look like it can move! Try to keep attacking at a distance!"

It was amazing how unspecific Harry's commands were, but then Ree remembered that her pokémon didn't even listen to hers. Maybe vagueness was the way to go.

"More fire!"

"Keep running!"

More tag, but with the added bonus of an amazing amount of flames. The referee and part of the crowd had to back up at one point. Eventually, the darmanitan's fire died down, but it remained a statue. "How the hell do we tell when this is over?" Ree called.

"Is your pokémon unable to battle?" the referee asked.

After much pleading and prodding, the boy conceded the round. Unfortunately, it wasn't the best of three pokémon, but until all three pokémon on either side were knocked out. Still, Ree was very glad to see that her friend was doing so well. "Good job, Harry! Only one more!"

"Jackster, come back now." He limped back to her, flanks heaving with his exhaustion. Harry examined the edge of his scarf with a frown, murmured something soothing, and then returned him.

"Both trainers, send out your next pokémon!"

After much deliberation, literally weighing one pokeball in each hand (Ree groaned), Harry sent out her litwick. And fortune favored her once more; her opponent sent out a whimsicott. "Start off with a stun spore to slow it down! You can outrun this one, easy!" the poor, ignorant soul called.

Ree stepped away from the edge of the arena. Harry was looking rather pale as she shuffled backwards, too. They both knew how this would end.

"Shady, um... Just start preparing a big fire attack, okay?"

The litwick cooed and shuffled towards the middle, the flame on her head growing steadily larger. The whimsicott raced by, lacing the area with golden dust, but missed its first pass. And its second—its speed was actually preventing it from getting enough on Shady to paralyze her. But it was sprinkling the area with plenty, and Ree personally knew how easily that stuff got stuck in whimsicott fluff.

Ree caught a couple other people backing up; apparently the trick wasn't as secret as she thought. And then, the whimsicott learned the hard way just how stun spore reacted with a flame when it finally caught Shady with its attack. The resulting _boom_ scared the archeops in the other arena, and Shady and the whimsicott were both thrown clear out of their half. Shady, looking a little squishy, got back up with a dazed groan. The whimsicott didn't.

"The winner is the red side!" The referee looked a little dazed himself.

"You won!" Ree hopped over the edge, not caring about the angry yells that followed her, and swept Harry and Shady both up into a hug, lifting them off the ground. "See, you did _great_! Jackster beat two pokémon on his own, and you were worried over absolutely nothing!"

"R-Ree, we blew up part of the stage to win," Harry pointed out, embarrassed.

"But you won! Second round, easy!"

"I'll have to fix Jackster's scarf..."

"Wick!" Shady said, smiling vapidly up at them both.

Ree caught Harry smiling to herself as she checked in with the registration table once more. She wasn't worried about herself, since her team was pretty awesome, but she was glad that Harry hadn't lost her first tourney battle. It would have been a blow to her already shaky confidence as a trainer.

"Now it's my turn."

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Ree takes the tournament by storm, unaware of the turmoil lurking beneath the surface of Driftveil City. Harper is back in the skies, but she's fallen behind, and Unika is still new to them all.


	26. Of Creating Sound Strategies

"So how long are you home for this time around?" Carly asked as she dragged over a stool for herself.

"Two more weeks," Maya replied, happily. She kicked her feet and couldn't help but smile at everyone. It wasn't often she got to come home when it was still decent weather out, and definitely not for so long.

"You excited?"

"Yeah. I've never been abroad before, and I've heard Sunyshore is really pretty. Want any souvenirs?"

Carly thoughtfully tapped her drumsticks against her thigh. "Hm."

Behind them, the boys suddenly broke into a slightly off-key rendition of _Home_. Carly winced; Scott hit a wrong chord on the guitar, and they trailed off with laughter. Ree clapped and goaded them on again.

"Earplugs," Carly deadpanned.

"Should you be saying that about your singers?"

"Yes, since Bryce can't hold those long notes as well as he thinks and since I haven't heard Scott get that part right yet. I _hate_ new songs, they sit there and go over the same goddamned part over and over until..."

"They look like they're having fun, though," Maya observed, craning her neck to see her sister and the two male band members talking excitedly. Ree elbowed her boyfriend and he strummed something out for her. Maya didn't recognize the song she began singing, but it didn't sound quite right. Bryce laughed at her attempt. "I'm glad you guys were playing somewhere while I was back. I haven't heard you at a show in I don't know how long."

"It's been off and on lately, but the past couple months have been good. If you visited more in the summer and fall, maybe you _could_ catch one."

"The nicer weather is when it's best to train. My team doesn't like the cold," she said with a huff.

Carly rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I've heard it before. I just know that Scott and Ree both like it when you're around, and I have far fewer headaches when those two are better behaved. And I won't complain if we have another fan in attendance."

"Will you guys be playing _Famous_ tonight?" Maya asked hopefully.

Carly might have smiled. It might have been the lighting, or a twitch, or an actual smile. Maya wasn't sure. "I like doing requests." She slid off of the stool and stretched, turning from the younger girl, and mumbled, "Now where the hell is Daisy?"

Ree and Scott broke into an overly loud and giggle-filled version of _Good Feeling_ and Carly stomped over to cut out the noise. Maya definitely smiled at that. It was nice to be home.

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty-Six**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Creating Sound Strategies

-.-.-

The first round was a breeze. Not that she was worried or anything, oh no. (A smaller, meaner part of her had the thought, _If Harry could do it..._) Whippy had handled two of the pokémon with grace, and then Unika had been left to handle a rufflet. The third battle was a little closer, but the type advantage, as well as Uni making for a tiny target, eventually won out. Ree treated them all to a restaurant dinner as a prize, hoping to encourage Harry's budding self-esteem as a trainer as well as hoping that positive reinforcement would work on her own team.

She wasn't sure if she had too large of a meal or if... Ree shook her head and stepped out of the bathroom, pants unbuttoned and only with a bra on top. "Do I look fat to you?" she asked, standing sideways. She ran her fingertips over her stomach, not sure if it was a food baby in there—or an actual one.

Harry, cheeks painted pink, gave her a glance of about two milliseconds and then decided to survey the far wall. "I-I don't know."

"I know it wouldn't be _fat_," Ree rationalized aloud, and stepped back into the bathroom. She kept the door open and stood in front of the mirror, back up against the wall in order to maximize her view. "I'm not sure if I'm showing yet. I'm not sure if _this_ is showing."

"You, um, started in August, right?"

"My last period was in early July." Ever since Lenore had rewritten her math for her, she had made sure to remember the important dates. July to April.

"Three and a half months, then. That's almost four months—gosh, that's a third of the way done."

"Almost four months," Ree repeated numbly.

"Even if you're a little, oh gosh, _rounder_, you can still wear shirts! N-No one would notice if you were not h-half naked in front of them," Harry squeaked, aiming to move the conversation along once more. Ree nodded.

They were both scheduled for later rounds the next day, so they took the opportunity to get some shopping done beforehand. Which meant that Ree bought some baggier clothes, Harry spent hours in a fabric store in the yarn aisle, and, finally, Sophia II was obtained. The bat was aluminum, slightly lighter than its predecessor, and fit oh so wonderfully in Ree's hands. Harry asked her not to swing it about, and eventually Ree relented, but it felt great to have something with which she could beat people again.

The guards at the stadium were a little less pleased with Ree's acquisition. "Ma'am, we're afraid weapons aren't allowed here."

"She's not a weapon, she's for self-defense," Ree replied testily. She didn't like being referred to as ma'am instead of miss. Did she suddenly look older in addition to fatter?

"This stadium is already protected. You will have no need of it inside. You may leave it at the desk or return it to wherever you are staying," the guard said, conspicuously placing his gloved hand on the pokeballs on his belt. "If you'd please."

She had enough time and felt _just_ resentful enough to make the trip back to the center to drop Sophia II off. Harry stayed at the stadium, since she had a little less time before hers. Ree stewed during her jog; it was just a bat, honestly, how much trouble did they think she could cause? It wasn't even deadly unless she was aiming for heads or had some time to devote to specific targets...

_Pokémon are more dangerous than any human weapon, anyway_, she thought as she tucked Sophia II into her bunk. After they won their way through the tournament, and she got a badge from Clay, they'd be free of the city and she could carry the bat around as much as she liked. It would be great.

Her trip took a little more time than she'd anticipated. Harry's battle was already underway by the time she got back in, and she had no time to do more than offer one whoop of encouragement before being ushered down the hall to her own section of the stadium. Her own opponent was a younger boy with a baby face and a frillish floating over his shoulder.

Ree grinned. Being late had its advantages. A water pokémon would be good practice for Unika, too. They took opposite sides of the field and the referee called the start—Ree let out her newest teammate with that same grin, and across from her, the boy released some sort of bug.

Her smile fell off her face. _Stupid, of course he wouldn't use it! Must be one of those companion types. Ugh_, she thought and grit her teeth. Uni swam back and forth through the air, her little tail undulating and wiggling, taking in all of the people around them. "Just—shit, hold on," she said, digging through her bag for her pokédex. "Uni, just start off with some sparking, okay?"

"Ty!" she squealed happily and let loose a sizable streak of electricity. The bug cried out and curled up into itself, some of its white ruff looking rather charred.

Ree knew Uni couldn't handle attacks like that for long. She was sort of a glass cannon until she evolved, and a very short-lived one at that. At last, Ree found her pokédex and quickly turned it on. As it booted up, the boy commanded, "Use a flame charge!"

"I know that move." That was the move that that damned zebstrika kept trotting out to use against Whippy. "Uni, move! Keep dodging it!"

The bug wasn't terribly fast, but the move gave it speed. And it would continue to, Ree knew. How a _bug_ could learn that move, though... Her pokédex finally gave her the answer: it was a larvesta, and it was bug _and_ fire typed. The boy had probably been expecting a grass pokémon to come out against his frillish. At least she hadn't been _that_ obvious.

Switching out a pokémon would only leave them open, and Whippy and Lala were out of the question, anyway. It wasn't as if Uni was at a disadvantage, anyway...

"Slow it down! We need a stable target to hit!" the boy growled, clearly frustrated. At least Uni was doing a good job at darting all around the arena. Maybe larvesta weren't that well-equipped for longer battles, either. "Switch to a string shot!"

"Don't let it get you!" Pinning her down would only end in her tynamo getting knocked out. They had the advantage while they had movement, although Uni couldn't attack all that much before getting exhausted. Wait, she had a thunder wave attack. That could paralyze the bug and slow it down, perhaps frustrating its trainer enough to recall it or make a stupid mistake, but it would use valuable electricity...

Unika circled around the arena, staying _just_ ahead of the string shot. Several audience members got it on them, to their collective dismay. She slid around the air like it was water, and she didn't have to worry about difficult turns, but her levitational abilities meant she had very little room to go up or down. And it looked like the larvesta was beginning to figure that out.

She tried to nail it with a thunder wave, and managed to once, but it didn't seem to have been enough to actually paralyze it. And her electricity reserves were running low. Ree chewed on her lip, wishing there was a way to boost that. Evolution would help but that was quite a ways away. She hardly had enough spark left for any longer range attacks, and if she got in close it would just find it easier to attack.

Unika cried out as a string shot finally connected to her tail. She flipped around in the air like a fish and tried to swat it off, but it was too sticky. Across the arena, the boy cheered. "Yes! Finally! Now quick, use an ember!"

The larvesta squeaked and not letting go of its end of the webbing, set fire to it. As it turned out, string shot was _very_ flammable. Unika's own squeal was almost too high-pitched for Ree to properly hear and she zapped wildly as the flame raced towards her. "Return!"

The tynamo disappeared just before it caught her. Ree let out a breath and glared at the pokeball in her hand. It'd been a long shot, anyway, but now she had a fiery bug to deal with. Whippy and Lala were out. She had to use Harper.

Harper came out with an awkward flutter, landing on the ground. She stretched, cocking her head as she examined the field. Little wisps of string shot were still burning near the larvesta; the bug shrank back with a a hiss. Its trainer looked just as sour.

She stretched out her wings again, and then took to the air. Ree's heart jumped into her throat as she wobbled a bit, at first. Harper lazily circled as she worked her way upward. By the time their opponent figured out that she was trying to readjust to flying, she was out of the bug's attacking range. Not that it stopped trying, blowing out jets of bright orange fire every time she ventured towards it.

"Okay, harpy, just keep your distance and you should be fine," Ree called. Harper chirped in response. She stayed aloft, at one point perching in the rafters, and sniped with gusts and air cutters. Lenora's gym all over again. Not terribly accurate, but she didn't have to be. Not as if it could hurt her.

The larvesta fainted soon after. Harper squawked, proudly, and allowed herself to gracefully float down to the ground once more. She turned and regarded her trainer over one shoulder, as if telling her how capable she was. How healed she was.

"That's all well and good, but come back anyway," Ree said and held out her hand. Harper squinted at her, briefly, but flapped over and landed on her arm. The chances of her opponent having two fire pokémon was slim, whereas he could easily have an electric one waiting for a bird. Or maybe his frillish knew ice attacks. He glowered at her, and again, he didn't send out his frillish. The blue pokémon just floated behind his shoulder, looking entirely disinterested with the battle.

Ree's heart had to have come up and out her throat when the opponent pokémon looked like an older Mitzi. An evolved Mitzi. Or maybe that feeling was the bottom of her stomach falling out. Or maybe her insides had simply liquefied and didn't know what to do.

Statistically speaking, she knew eventually she'd have to battle a minccino or cinccino. They _had_, but wild ones. And always from a distance. Harper stepped up onto her shoulder, pressing her wing against Ree's cheek. "Tran."

"I." She had already called Harper back, she had to use another pokémon for this round. She couldn't send out Whippy. "Lala." She moved to return her tranquill to her ball, too, but Harper stubbornly dug her claws into her shoulder. Ree didn't want to fight her.

Lala took one look at the cinccino and turned back to Ree with disbelief on her features. "_Whim_?"

"Just—do it," she replied, irritated, and waved her back towards the field. Lala rolled her eyes and before anyone could call out an attack, whipped up a tailwind.

Perhaps in hindsight Ree should have realized that using such an attack indoors would have drastically altered how it worked. Or perhaps Lala should have. A breeze started up, to the surprise of some of the audience members, but it was nothing like the gusts that she could have kicked up before. Lala turned and waved her paws again. The breeze scooted her forward but couldn't pick her up. The cinccino gave a small, delicate laugh.

The whimsicott turned on it with a snarl. It should have tipped Ree off when Harper flapped into the air, squawking at her, "Tranquill-quill, tranquill!"

Lala positively growled. Ree's discomfort grew. "Uh, you can try the stun spore trick—"

"Scott!" she snapped. Lala reached around and started grabbing pawfuls of her fluff, pulling it around herself like a coat. The cinccino laughed again and mimicked her, throwing its fur over its shoulder like a boa. Lala didn't react that time and pulled more around herself, sticking her arms through it like it was her sleeves.

"Enough! Start off with a work up before it... finishes!" her opponent called.

Ree had to wonder what Lala would finish. It just looked like she was getting dressed.

The cinccino took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and then gave a war cry. A very cute one. (Ree stopped herself from wondering if Mitzi would have ever been like that.) Without waiting for further orders, it charged with a surprising speed.

Lala dug her heels in, patted down the fluff against her chest, and swept her arms towards the cinccino. The resulting wind was far stronger than before and her surprised foe couldn't change direction in time. Lala bowled it over and skidded to a halt near the other trainer. She sat back up with a groan, one matched by the cinccino.

"That wasn't a tailwind," Ree said dumbly. Lala patted her fluff back down again, and repeated the move. She was moving much faster than normal, and only in a straight line. And the move appeared to be shredding her fluff, if the trail she was leaving was any indication.

Harper squawked and flapped her wings, nearly cuffing Ree. Lala waved her off as she staggered back to her feet.

"Enough of this! Start digging!"

"Cin!"

Eyes wide, Lala charged at the cinccino again, but it disappeared into the ground in a frenzy of dirt and rock. Lala skidded to a halt near the other trainer, glowering at the hole.

Not a moment later, the cinccino came back up, directly beneath the whimsicott. She screamed and jumped, but the other pokémon managed to get a good hit in nonetheless. And before she could retaliate, it vanished into another hole. Lala windmilled her arms, creating a gentle puff of air that kept her from touching the ground, and she floated gently off to the side of the arena.

Once she touched ground, the cinccino was upon her again, like a krookodile waiting in a sand dune. She snarled and twisted, trying to kick off of it, but it latched on with claws and teeth. A brief scuffle, and then it disappeared again. Lala waved her arms and floated upwards, chest heaving. "...Whim."

"Tranquill!" Harper tweeted suddenly. "Tran-tran!" She flapped into the air, hovering for a moment, and jutted her neck up towards the ceiling.

Lala looked up, and then sighed. "Scott, whimsicott." Before she touched the ground, she pulled her fluff around her, and then shot up towards the rafters. It took some maneuvering and at least one more attack before she latched on.

"Oh, come on!" the other trainer cried in exasperation. "That's cheating!"

"Your cinccino is waiting below the arena, I don't see why we can't be above it!" Ree snapped back. He pursed his lips and didn't complain again. She huffed, and then returned her attention to her pokémon. Lala sat down on the rafter, rubbing her chest. Her expression was difficult to make out from so far away, but Ree could see little splotches of red from her injuries.

The referee shifted, either from nerves or frustration. She couldn't quite tell. Most battles didn't lend themselves to guerrilla warfare very well, least of all ones that were supposed to be for entertainment. The other trainer still had one more pokémon, too, and Ree was hardly the most patient of trainers.

As Lala hopped from rafter to rafter overhead, heading towards a wall, her tailwind still not powerful to do anything more than gently scoot her along, Ree realized how she had been moving so fast earlier. "Gust. Lala, you've been using a gust!" Harper knew the same move; it was the only way she could have _created_ a wind instead of utilizing an existing one. And with the air motionless inside a building, she couldn't afford to idly puff around.

"Quill," Harper answered, sounding pleased.

"And that's why she's been having to shield herself. Oh my god." Those attacks had been hurting her as well. But without an advantage, without something to light her stun spore on fire (why, oh why, had they decided to use that as an actual, reliable strategy?), Lala clearly hadn't wanted to drag out the battle. The more Lala learned and adapted to her new moves, the more it scared her on some sort of basic trainer level. "Lala, just stop that! Snipe with razor leaves or something!" Distance could work to her advantage, too, even if accuracy would suffer. Just like with Harper, and Uni.

But Lala turned her snout up in the air. That much was visible across the distance. She made it to the wall, alighting with a flourish—and then jumped off. She floated downward, twirling in the air to face the wall once more, not much more than a silhouette in front of the far window.

Then she shattered the glass with a flurry of razor-sharp leaves.

The cinccino, who had popped up in order to investigate its missing opponent, squealed and ducked again. But the glass fell harmlessly off to the side; Lala didn't bother messing with it. Instead, with a whirl of her arms, she suddenly had _wind_ to work with. She flew through the air, circling once, then hit another window. She broke it with a cackle and a kick.

By that point the ref had caught wise, shouting for her to stop. Ree shrugged when he turned towards her. "Can't you stop it?!"

"She doesn't like to listen to me. She just wants a bit of a breeze, that's all."

Mercifully, Lala stopped after breaking three windows, and by that point, could fling herself through the air like the most skilled of trapeze artists. And as if reading her trainer's mind, she did a somersault. She danced through the air, arms guiding her movements, and flitted up to the ceiling again. Ree's opponent seemed rather pale all of a sudden.

Harper braced herself up against Ree's head. She only had a moment to wonder at that before Lala plummeted downward with a _crack_. The two trainers and the referee stumbled back at the blast of wind, Lala disappeared into one of the holes, and the cinccino was thrown out of another. There was a collective dazed moment.

Lala popped up out of the hole and flew at the cinccino before it could scramble back underground. The two tussled, snarling and squeaking, and Ree noticed that her grass pokémon had begun shedding stun spore in addition to damaged pieces of fluff. The fisticuffs didn't last long, though. Lala came out victorious, her fluff patchy and her sides scraped up, grinning madly.

"Intentional damage to the building's structure is not allowed," the referee spat.

"They were just windows. The glass didn't hit anyone."

"You'll pay for the repair cost."

"_Fine_." Deep down, Ree had known that it'd be unavoidable. But Lala had managed to pull off another stunning victory, and she had demonstrated her knack for thinking in unorthodox ways.

She could feel the heat from her foe's glare from across the arena. Right, they still had one round left. Ree looked between Lala and Harper. Both would benefit from the air movement, though Lala more so. He had already used a fire type and then a normal one. Would he use the frillish or—shit, he knew all three of her pokémon.

_Do grass and flying types have any common weaknesses?_ Ree couldn't remember. Electricity was out, and so was fire. Psychic? No. Definitely not water. The two trainers glared at each other and Lala pattered over to her trainer, seeking further praise. He was clearly aiming to get an advantage over one of them, but which?

Then again, Ree could still use both of them. Lala was a little banged up, but still raring to go, and Harper was in good shape. He only had one pokémon. Even if he got lucky, she could likely overpower him and win.

They released their last-round pokémon. He grimaced; she smirked. It still wasn't the frillish, though, but instead another blue pokémon that Ree immediately recognized: an elgyem. She hadn't thought they were legal for regular trainers to have, but then again, it wasn't like they could ban an entire native species. Maybe it just couldn't teleport?

Harper kept her distance on the field. Ree returned Lala for the moment. She didn't need to get excited all over again, and a little rest in between would help, on the off chance that Harper went down. "Tran?"

"I dunno, it's a psychic. I'm not sure how long of a range it has, though," Ree called back. The psychic pokémon jerked in the air, leaving the ground momentarily, and then turned quizzically back to its trainer.

Without warning, it sent out a wave of bright purple energy. Harper squawked and couldn't avoid it, but she caught herself from falling. She flapped backwards, putting more distance between them and built altitude again. Ree only noticed it because she personally did it, but the other trainer hadn't _said_ anything. Before, he had called out guidelines. He was the one who had told his cinccino to start the guerrilla warfare.

It unleashed another violet attack and Harper dove down under it. She darted in close, beating it about the head with her wings and claws, pecking fiercely at one of its eyes. It squealed, but its arms were too short to do more than knock her tail back and forth. Its trainer stepped forward, hands balled into fists but utterly silent.

The elgyem reared back, glowing with an oily purplish sheen, and then headbutted Harper—but with a glint in her eye, Harper rolled to the side. She hit the ground and threw herself upward at it, sending it sprawling while it was already off balance. "Tranquill!" She perched on its back, just like Whippy would when he was trying to pin something, but she was significantly smaller than him.

It threw her off with another unaimed psybeam. Shaking with rage, the psychic pokémon cloaked itself with more shiny purple, and then advanced on her. Harper glanced back at Ree.

She couldn't decipher that look, or what her bird wanted from her. "Uh, use a gust?" she guessed.

Harper unmistakably rolled her eyes.

Affronted—Harper had always been the _nice_ one, not one of the unruly ones!—Ree scowled and crossed her arms. "Fine then, let's see what _you_ can do on your own!" ...As if she didn't already do that. Maybe she hadn't been looking for feedback? The tranquill was frustratingly taciturn at times.

Harper dropped to the ground and folded in her wings. The elgyem, not a fast pokémon, hobbled forward. She arched her neck and puffed out her chest, strutting off to the side, flicking her tail feathers back and forth in time with her steps. It looked like she was—

_She's taunting it!_ Ree realized. ...And then she was completely unsure of how to take that strategy. Harper obviously had a plan, but pissing off a strong psychic didn't seem like a very good start.

"Quill?" Harper asked, and then faked a yawn. The elgyem actually stomped its foot in its anger.

"Stop letting it get you mad!" And there the other trainer finally broke his silence. He was pacing back and forth at the edge of the field, rivaling his pokémon's anger. Okay, so maybe there was _some_ benefit to Harper's show of a strategy. Ree liked watching pissed off preteens as much as the next girl, and she knew better than anyone that angry people tended to make stupid mistakes.

Wait, he started talking to it. They had to have been talking telepathically, then, but now they weren't. Harper had isolated it, or at least taken away its element of surprise—_could_ the other pokémon battle well without guidance? "Go, harpy! Get it!" Ree called. May as well be supportive.

It lurched forward again with another type of headbutt, and Harper easily flapped out of the way with a mocking caw. She clawed at the back of its head before it turned around. It didn't seem particularly good at defending itself up close, and with how wildly it was firing off psybeams, it hadn't hit Harper in some time.

It was like watching a liepard play with a patrat. Harper mocked, it tried to attack, she saw through the obvious movement, and then attacked while it was off balance. And Ree hadn't thought she could be a close-range fighter. Soon enough, it fell, and even Harper's slight weight was enough to keep it down.

"This round has concluded!" the ref announced and Harper landed back on Ree's shoulder, soaking up her praise with cooing and preening.

"You know, I don't think I give you enough credit sometimes. Though the eye roll was unnecessary."

"Tranquill, tran-tranq quill," Harper said with a sigh. She nestled down into the crook of her neck, even if it was a bit more difficult for her to do since she'd evolved.

"Yeah, I don't get that. Would it kill any of you to let me look like a competent trainer sometimes?"

"Quill!"

"I don't care if it takes others off guard. I'd just like to be _in_ on all of the planning and shit." Ree spotted Harry near the exit, sitting and knitting. She supposed that her battle _had_ gone on awhile. "Hey! Got another win for Team Ree, even if Lala had to turn into a kamikaze battler to manage it."

"Oh, that's... good." The redhead hardly looked up from her knitting. A long scarf in two gray tones, looking to be almost done.

"How'd yours go? You must've been done pretty fast, though I guess mine kind of dragged a bit."

"I. Um." Harry bit her lip and then ducked her head to avoid Ree's gaze. "It was r-really close. We barely won, and Hattie got burned pretty badly..."

Ree's face fell. "But... but you still won, right?"

Harry nodded. "I've already dropped her off with the nurses. She'll be fine, nothing long-term, but they don't want her to battle for a couple days." She finally looked back up at her, mouth quivering, eyes shining. "Oh, Ree, I was just—she's so _little_! I was really scared, oh my gosh. A-And now, I won't be able to battle tomorrow..."

"Bullshit you can't! Jackster and Shady are fine, aren't they?"

"Y-Yes, but—"

"It's three on three. I can loan you one of mine," Ree said firmly.

"None of them are registered to me, just to you," she replied, voice flat. She wiped at her eyes and looked back down at the scarf draped across her lap. "We both knew going into this that I wasn't going to make it very far..."

"You can still battle! Jackster is _strong_, he just needs confidence! And Shady—she's a fire pokémon! They're always great offensively. You could still get lucky!" But it was three on three matches, and Harry had already been battling with a team of three unevolved pokémon. Ree at least had four to choose from, and three of hers had already evolved once. "Just _try_, okay? For me?"

"I don't want to just lose in front of people."

"Put up a fight, then. Let your pokémon battle. Sometimes, even knowing the odds are frustratingly against you... Knowing you're probably gonna lose and battling anyway is the sign of a trainer. Or something." She had meant it to come out inspirational, and then cite her struggles against Elesa as support, but it came out too poorly to salvage.

Harry shrugged and got to her feet, stuffing the scarf and yarn into her bag. "Thank you, Ree, but I'll be okay. Let's just... I-I think Jackster said he was hungry. Shall we go get dinner?"

It was a little early yet, but Ree wasn't going to say no to either hungry pokémon or such a sad Harry. "Fine, may as well milk this for all it's worth."

By making it through the second round, they not only got free food through the end of the month, but had discounts, a t-shirt, and now, a pass for a day at the spa. Neither girl even thought about asking for the alternative (who needed pokémon classes when they could have _massages_). Ree hoped that Harry would cheer up when they stopped by the table to get their coupons, but she only stowed that in her bag with the same listlessness as before. The taller one grimaced; cheering people up was not her forte. Especially sensitive ones like her companion. Friend. Confidante. Really, they had been through quite a bit together; having a close call shouldn't faze them.

But she supposed that two on three wouldn't be fair. The odds were stacked against her, and they hadn't been ace battlers before, even with Lala's rather evil help. Maybe if she had a zebstrika, a leavanny, and a... whatever Shady would evolve into, but she didn't. And even if Hattie was strong enough to have evolved, she hadn't, because Jackster hadn't...

_That damned blitzle. He needs to evolve_. There was _no_ way it was simply a matter of being too inexperienced to evolve. Harry had had him for years, and even if they'd taken a break, he was keeping up with the wild pokémon and the few battles Harry let him into. They had won two rounds together! Ree chewed on her lip, allowing Harry to lead them to the restaurant.

If he wouldn't simply _evolve_ and be done with it... He needed a confidence boost, or else a (forcible) nudge. The only times Ree had seen him stand up for himself involved protecting Harry. She could work with that. It wasn't like she wanted to put her in danger, per se, but if she could fake it somehow... Jackster knew her, knew her team. She couldn't stage something herself, it would have to be an outside source. Wild pokémon were too unpredictable, and since he could usually dispatch them without getting too worked up—no, that wouldn't work. He was too strong for that to work. He had to think he _needed_ to evolve to protect her.

Ree did the menu reading dance for her pokémon, since they felt picky and owed a good meal for their hard work, but hardly paid attention to her own meal. Harry was likewise subdued. Hattie was still at the center with the nurses, and would get fed there, and it wasn't like her pokémon were particularly noisy. Quiet, awkward dinner. Ree's thoughts wavered between wondering why Unika had wanted raw fish (that Whippy was trying to steal from her, displeased with his own choice of barbequed something) and trying to come up with some sort of way to scare Jackster into evolving.

_Scare..._

Halloween was at the end of the month.

Ree set her chin in her hand, stabbed a piece of asparagus, and smiled.

-.-.-

After Ree nearly bullied her into it—to be fair, Ree _did_ feel guilty for it—Harry tried to battle. Jackster won the first round, which had been against a basculin, and really weakened the boldore that followed, but ultimately fainted. Shady didn't stand a chance.

Ree, on the other hand, had a delightfully easy time with her third battle. The poor sap had started off with a palpitoad, which hardly lasted five minutes against Whippy. Then she sent out a sawk that Harper defeated with minimal eye-rolling or taunting. She used Uni for the final round, against an archen, but ended up frantically switching for Whippy when its rock throws got a little dense.

And Ree learned that archen couldn't fly. They were her new favorite bird enemy.

Since they no longer had to wait for two battles to finish, and since Ree's battle the day after would be an early one, they decided to take their free trip to the spa afterward. Ree wasn't worried about losing the fourth round. Unika was getting the hang of making the most of her limited supply of electricity, and Lala was in top form. Harper was getting back into the swing of things, too. She felt a little bad for not using her starter more, but when she needed a grass advantage, Lala was a good choice and a little more versatile. If Whippy had noticed that he wasn't being used very often, he didn't mention it.

That night, however, Ree had a nightmare. Her dreams had been pretty quiet (surprisingly) since Mitzi had died. She should have known it had been too good to last. It started out normally enough, involving a warped battle of her team versus Scott's, until suddenly Yorick turned into a heatmor and set Lala on fire. And then Lala became Mitzi, and Whippy got eaten by a dragon, and Ree herself was eaten by a giant shadow.

And then a woobat flapped calmly into her black dream and perched on the non-existent floor in front of her. "State your name for our lord," it told her.

Shaking, Ree stammered out, "M-Miss Mitzi Whiplash."

The woobat scowled and cut a hole into the shadow's stomach. They both tumbled out. Ree landed on her hip; the woobat took to the bright violet sky. Ree vomited out red, red like Mitzi's copper smell and red like food dye. The woobat huffed. "This isn't her. I'm moving on."

Ree woke up with the very _real_ urge to throw up. She scrambled out of bed and didn't even bother to turn on the bathroom light. She had taken no bad dreams and no morning (which _still_ didn't confine itself only to her mornings) sickness for granted. Stomach emptied, tiredness setting back in, Ree Majors closed her eyes. She was glad it wasn't red.

"Ree? A-Are you okay?"

"Shit, did I wake you?" She didn't raise her head from the toilet seat. She still felt a little queasy.

"No, I woke up on my own. Had a bad dream." Harry came in and sat beside her, rubbing her back. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired and sick," she sighed in reply. Then, Harry's words caught back up with her. "Bad dream?"

"Nothing too bad, just strange. Do you want a glass of water?"

Ree nodded. She sipped at the water until Harry fell back asleep, and then quietly slipped out. She had Whippy's pokeball in her hand, but figured she wouldn't need him.

Sure enough, there were a couple of other sleepy trainers in the lobby. One older than her, one about her age, and then three younger ones. One of them couldn't have been older than ten or eleven. Ree did a double-take when she realized that one of the trainers was her opponent from round two, his frillish still floating beside him. He did a double-take, too, and then scowled when he recognized her. She scowled right back.

"You had a nightmare, too, right?" the eldest asked, looking up from his spot on the couch. Ree nodded tightly. "The nurse is in the back checking the doors right now. No one else has come in through the front ones for a couple hours. Whoever did it either snuck in, or has been here the entire time."

"The nightmares came from _inside_ the house," one of the kids said and then giggled nervously. Ree's opponent glared at her.

Maya had a reuniclus, and more than once she had used him to convey messages in dreams, or in one case, gather blackmail on her sister. Psychic dreams felt weirder, but it was a weird Ree could recognize. They also tended to linger longer after the fact; normally, she was terrible at remembering the details of her dreams.

"What's your guess?" the eldest trainer asked brightly. He had a bit of a northern accent. Ree sat down on the couch beside him, setting Whippy's pokeball in her lap. "We're placing bets on psychic or ghost."

"I really like how absolutely no one is questioning what went on here," Ree's opponent said dryly.

"You have a ghost, you know what's up," the youngest of their group piped up. He sat down on the floor near the desk, and then yawned.

"He's right. Other trainers would just dismiss it if they didn't realize that a pokémon was haunting them."

"What if it was some sort of hype for that abandoned place?"

"What? That's completely tasteless, _and_ it's just a joke for Halloween."

"What if it really _is_ haunted and its ghosts wanted to come drag us there?"

"A psychic did it," Ree interrupted. "I saw a woobat in my dream."

"It was a talking paper girafarig in mine. That was almost as surprising as the drowning bit."

"That's why I said a ghost did it," frillish kid said, "because ghosts bring nightmares with them. A good psychic is more delicate about it."

"Or maybe it didn't care."

"Maybe it _wanted_ to be mean. I've heard of trainers doing it to one another to psych each other out, and we _are_ in the middle of a tournament."

"But not all of us are still active in the tournament," Ree said with a snicker. Frillish kid shot her another nasty look.

At that point, the nurse came back. She looked haggard and had her hair down, as if she had been woken up herself. "All of the doors are locked, and they have been the entire night. None of my nurse pokémon have seen anything, so I'm afraid that whoever did this did not break in to do so."

"Isn't there some way to track this?"

"Not unless an aware psychic or ghost happened to notice it."

All eyes turned towards the boy with the ghost. He flushed and shook his head. "Not mine—he was asleep in his ball. Couldn't tell me anything by the time I woke him up."

"What about your _psychic_?" Ree spat.

"_Also_ in his ball. I sleep with all my pokémon like that," he replied venomously. "And he's not even good at dream stuff, anyway."

"I'll have security look through the tapes," the nurse sighed, interrupting the glaring match. "And I will put out a bulletin tomorrow asking if anyone has any information on it. I'm sorry, but there's simply not much else we can do. Especially if it affected so few of you."

Grumbling and yawning, most of the trainers departed back to their rooms. Ree trailed after the older boy, until he fell into step beside her. "...I think it was looking for someone, but I didn't want to bring it up."

"Yeah, I think so, too."

"I don't want to be whoever they're looking for, not if they're willing to risk searching half a pokémon center to find them."

"Yeah... Well, goodnight." Ree awkwardly watched him leave before heading to her room. She didn't exactly want to get buddy-buddy with unknown trainers—regardless of how charming their accents were—when there was a psychic roaming around. Harry was still asleep, and she didn't know what it was. No reason to worry her.

The next day dawned with some good luck. While a tougher battle (and while ungodly early in the morning), Ree won another round, and the girls were free to spend the day getting pampered. Better yet, so were their pokémon. Hattie was on the mend, and their teams were ecstatic at the surprise spa trip. Harry seemed to be in a much better mood and it was easy to forget about sabotage and tournaments when they could stretch out in heated mineral water.

Whippy decided to get a manicure with them, and no matter how much they giggled, he seemed pleased with his ruby-colored claws. Lala spent most of her time getting her fluff taken care of, which apparently required two trained workers and three hours. At least she didn't look so uneven or shaggy when she was done.

Unika and Harper both stuck close to Ree. The strange place seemed to make the tynamo a little nervous. Ree had to wonder if it was an electric thing or not; Jackster could only be lured away from Harry's side with the promise of a coat brushing and mane trim alongside a very pretty pokémon called a rapidash, that belonged to the spa's owner. Harper politely declined all treatments offered her except for a quick dunk in the mineral water with the girls. She spent most of the rest of her time preening herself, Unika snuggled tightly up against her side. It was cute, if unexpected.

The girls and their pokémon returned from the spa happy and glowing. Whippy's scales positively shined, and even Jackster couldn't help but show off his lustrous coat. Ree sighed happily and looked at her painted nails. Even though bottles of nail polish had made it into her backpack, she'd never had the time to use them. "It feels so nice to be pretty again."

"You're always pretty, Ree—I-I mean, um, y-you look... nice."

"Thank you. We should do this again sometime."

"We already used our coupons..."

"And we're nice and girly for now. I mean in like, a couple months or some shit. After we're grimy and rough and tough and whatever again."

Turning a corner, Harry nearly ran into someone. Ree yanked her back just in time, but still the redhead blushed and stammered away. "I-I'm sorry! I wasn't—"

"Get lost," snapped the young woman, who had a teenage boy pinned against a brick wall in front of them. Well. That was something that was not often seen. She had to be in her mid twenties, and he looked to be just older than Harry. Not quite a fair fight.

"Uh, what's going on here?" Ree didn't have Sophia II with her, but they both had their full teams. And as much as she personally liked assault charges, she didn't like seeing them happen in front of her.

"This little shit just tried to steal my pokémon. So really, I am _not_ in the mood for this right now," the auburn-haired woman grunted, and pushed him harder against the wall. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead just cried out in pain.

"Let go, let go, I didn't—_Ow_!"

Pokémon theft was a big deal. But... "Where's your pokémon?"

The woman rolled her eyes so hard Ree could have sworn she felt it. "I _returned_ it. Now will you two kindly keep walking?"

"Do you want us to call the police?" Harry, bless her kind soul, asked timidly.

"I'll take this fucker in myself!" the woman barked. She shook her hair out of her eyes, and Ree noticed that she had something shiny in her hair. A circlet. Rich? No wonder she was protective of her pokémon—well, no, _every_ trainer should be protective of their pokémon.

"C'mon, Harry, let's go."

"But she's—"

"The police station is _that_ way," Ree said pointedly, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. "Just start him walking that way or we will call the cops."

The boy against the wall gave another whine. "Please, I didn't—"

"Shut up." The woman turned to Ree, eyes narrowed. "Fine. I'll see justice done the proper way."

She pulled him back, arm still twisted behind him, and started him marching. "I didn't do anything wrong! I didn't do this!"

Ree watched them go, unnerved. She wasn't too bad of a fighter, but she hadn't wanted to get in the middle of that. At least the police could contain it, whatever happened.

"That felt... off," Harry said once they were out of earshot.

"Yeah. But I wasn't going to start shit in the middle of a city, and certainly without my Sophia. Come on, let's head back. The sooner I have her in my beautiful, manicured hands again, the better I'll feel!" Ree kissed her nails for good measure.

They went out again for dinner—and once again, her team insisted on trying to mix it up—since they may as well take advantage of their free food. Ree sighed wistfully at their drink menu. Pokémon training in cities would have been so much more fun if she could get drunk. Could pokémon get drunk? ...She decided against trying, just in case.

"I heard some of the kids in the pokémon center talking about Halloween parties that the city government sponsors. Apparently they're a big deal," Harry said conversationally. As if Ree needed more ha-ha-you-can't-drink in her life.

"I think I saw a poster or something for it," she replied, poking at her food. Whippy, despite ordering fish, was trying to steal Lala's meal that night. She hoped he wasn't acting out or something.

"There's a big one that allows pokémon, it's held in a warehouse across town. Costumes are encouraged," she continued.

Costume parties were definitely up Ree's alley. But they were also more fun with alcohol involved. ...Then again, pokémon could be a fun thing to throw into the mix. "...Can you dress up pokémon?"

"I don't see why not. I-I think it would be fun to go," Harry admitted with a shy smile. "I can talk Jackster into it, and I think—I hope—once he sees that the other pokémon aren't there to battle, he'll be okay with it. Shady could be something cute, oh gosh, and Lala could do cute things, too!"

Lala looked up at the mention of her name in reference to cute. "Scott."

"Halloween is next week. Kind of short term for a bunch of costumes..." But it would be fun. They had the time to burn since a winter storm was forecast near Mistralton. Ree was going to grab Clay's badge, cut her losses, and head south for the winter.

"They're even setting up haunted houses and trick or treating for trainers and their pokémon." Harry kept talking, describing the party in question, but Ree stopped listening at 'haunted house'.

_Scare him into it! I can scare Jackster into it, literally!_ Halloween would be a perfect time to get him good and spooked, and all it would take is one little 'accident'... Lala could seek out some large pokémon to lure in, or Ree could talk to another trainer and see if they could get a pokémon to volunteer... Something could just jump out, or if they were in a haunted house, they could pretend to attack Harry and if Ree happened not to be there to protect her, surely he would—

"—and Jackster really loves caramel apples. I bet Whippy would, too."

"Uh, yeah. He would. Just so long as he brushes his teeth afterward. Let's do this."

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Ree has a _plan_! The tournament draws to a close, and Ree hardly pays attention to how difficult the later rounds are getting. It's so much easier to plot against her friend. Of course, with all the weirdness going on, it can never be that easy.


	27. Of Living A Nightmare

"Don't you guys ever get bored of doing nothing but playing games?"

Ree didn't even bother looking away from the TV screen. "No. Why would we? Isn't that right Scottie?" She reached across and pinched him on the cheek until he screamed and slapped her hand away.

"You're just doing that to get in the lead. You're not going to emerge victorious that way!"

Ree rolled her eyes. "And that's where you're so wrong, Scottie. I'm gonna kick your ass and make you beg for forgiveness."

Maya didn't know what Scott leaned over and whispered in Ree's ear, but given the way her sister turned crimson, she didn't need to guess what he had said.

Ree set her jaw stubbornly. "You're on. Prepare to become my bitch."

Maya sighed. There would be no getting them away from _Mario Kart _anytime soon. "Is there anything that would make you guys leave the game for a while. Apart from that!" she squeaked, seeing the gleam in Ree's eye.

"Maybe if they became real," Ree whispered.

"I'd totally be in _Assassin's Creed_," Scott said. "Or something like _Skyrim._"

"You'd end up dead within the first minute," Ree snorted. She swore as her car spun out of control and off the racetrack. "I'd take over from Zelda and teach her how to actually kick some ass and not just get herself into these stupid situations all the time. Or Princess Peach and actually show Bowser what happens when you keep kidnapping the same woman!"

Scott laughed. "You'd end up in something like _Dead Space_. And you'd scream and run away from anything that looked remotely scary."

"I so would not!"

Maya sighed again. She only had another week until she went off traveling again. Maybe the only way to spend some time with her sister during the day would be to hide all the cords to her games consoles. As long as Ree never found out she was behind it she wouldn't have to worry about the death threats that would surely follow.

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: **Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey of Living a Nightmare

-.-.-

This was _definitely_ not what Ree had been planning when she had started all of this. She sat up with a groan and wiped blood from her mouth. Whatever the fuck that _thing_ was that had just knocked her on her ass was going to pay for it! She found Sophia II on the floor where she had dropped her and gave a practice swing at the air. Oh yes. Mr-Shadowy-Knocks-Pregnant-Girls-On-Their-Ass was going to be very sorry.

As soon as she figured out where she was.

So maybe signing up to a Halloween based trip that she'd discovered via a flier being slid underneath her door wasn't the smartest of choices. But something had happened that made it so Ree just _had_ to sign herself up to it. It was almost like she'd had no control of her actions when she put her and Harry's name to the paper.

The nightmares. They had to be related. Whatever sick creep that had made all the nightmares had to have fucked with her mind and made it so that she signed up to ..._whatever_ she was currently experiencing. The only decision Ree had to make would be whether or not they would be introduced to Sophia II before or after she went after Mr-Shadowy.

But that could wait until she figured out just where the hell they were. She was in a room that seemed to have been fashionable back when her grandparents were her age. The couches looked like they'd be eaten by sewaddle. There was an old-timey radio in the corner of the room and an honest-to-kyurem _gramophone_ on a battered wooden desk. It was someone's apartment, Ree's brain told her. A constant _drip, drip, drip_ echoed from the kitchen. She found nothing in there that seemed to be of any use, though she found food that had to have been as old as her. It didn't do anything to help the unease swirling in her stomach, making her want to lose what little there was in there.

All her pokemon were still on her. That was a good thing. Even so, she didn't let them out just yet. Fuck knew what could have been waiting for her round the corner. If it was bad, Sophia II could handle it. If not, she'd run the fuck in the other direction. She didn't want another Mitzi happening.

Bile rose in her throat. She swallowed hard and fought against it. She wasn't going to be the victim who got stabbed to death with her face in a toilet. She'd make sure the apartment was clear, make certain there were no killers hiding behind the curtains or underneath the bed and only then would she run to the washroom and puke.

She pushed open a battered wooden door with the tip of Sophia II. It creaked as loudly as a foghorn in the silence. She winced and drew back instinctively, readying Sophia II for battle.

Nothing moved in the room. Ree moved forward slowly and found it to be a bedroom as ancient as the rest of the apartment.

The only difference was that asleep on the bed was a familiar sight of red hair and a wooly sweater.

"Harry!" Ree hissed. She bounced on the side of the bed and shook her by the shoulders. "Harry! Wake up!"

Harry groaned as her eyelids fluttered. "R-Ree?" she mumbled, still half asleep. "What's going on?" She moved slowly, like she was expecting to bump her head on the top bunk in their room. She blinked, seemingly taking in everything for the first time. "Where are we?"

"Wish I knew," Ree muttered. She stood up and swung Sophia II in irritation. "I can't figure it out just yet. If anything I'd think we've been sent back in time, but fuck that shit."

Harry's eyes widened. "Y-You don't think—?"

"No," Ree said firmly. "Hell to the no. If that had happened, I think we'd have been dropped somewhere in the middle of nowhere, or at least with someone that could help us and tell us what the hell was happening. There's no—" _there's no one here_, she was going to say. That would just lead to something jumping out of the walls and killing them both. She swallowed and shook her head. "I haven't seen anyone inside this apartment, but I don't know if we're alone or not."

That sounded better. Eerie and rather uncomfortable, but still better than anything that would bring doom their way. She didn't feel like tempting fate until she knew what was going on.

"I-I," Harry mumbled. She searched herself quickly and smiled a fraction at what she found. "I still have my pokemon with me. All three of them are still here and my clothes are right, so nothing's happened, right?"

Ree hadn't even totally thought about that. "If it did, you'd have woken up to me surrounded by dead bodies," she growled. Then Harry's words caught up with her. "Wait, all _three_ of your pokemon? I thought Hattie was still being treated?"

"I..." Harry bit her lip and checked her pokeballs again. "Yes, all three of them." She looked up sharply. "Ree, what's going on here?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "Don't let your pokemon out yet though. Jackster will probably have a heart attack around here and Shady might accidentally set this whole place on fire. Plus we don't know how strong this apartment's floors are or how far up we are. I don't want to suddenly discover we're on the fiftieth floor when we're falling."

"Haven't you checked outside the window?"

Ree went to smack herself in the head and stopped at the last moment, remembering Sophia II in her hand. Instead she swore and stomped other to the sewaddle-eaten curtains. Why hadn't she thought of that? What was wrong with her? She wasn't about to let some nasty run in and murder her, but she should have been thinking about the obvious shit like that.

"Get a grip, Ree," she hissed under her breath. She tucked Sophia II in her armpit as she grabbed a curtain in each hand and pulled them apart.

They were in a city.

One that Ree didn't recognize.

Everything in the street seemed as old-timey as the apartment she was in. There weren't even bars—there were _saloons_. Complete with the purrloin-flap wooden doors. She saw trash lining the streets and the sidewalks covered in cracks and used up alcohol bottles. All of the street lamps flickered randomly. It made Ree shudder and want to get the hell out of there. The only thing she could see with any sort of normal lighting was either a jukebox or a vending machine at the end of the street. It was lit up with something like a clown, but it was purple and with bright pink cheeks. She knew it was a pokemon, but she had no idea just what one it was.

Harry appeared by her side. Ree tried her best to hide the fact that she'd nearly jumped out of her skin. "Where?" Harry whispered.

"I don't know," Ree said. It was fast becoming the only thing she was saying. "Wherever we are though, it looks like we've missed a party and the whole town's hungover."

Harry stepped on her tiptoes to see over Ree's shoulder. Ree rolled her eyes and pulled her closer to the window. Harry squeaked, her cheeks turned bright pink but otherwise she kept her eyes firmly on the street.

"There!" Harry gasped. "I see someone!"

Ree followed where she was pointing. She saw a shadow in the street, stumbling and swaying slightly. From such a distance, she would have said that whoever it was had just drank too much. But something was _off_ about it. Ree didn't know what exactly, but it sent shivers down her spine.

"We need to get out of here," Ree said. "Out of this apartment, find out just where we are and then get the fuck out of wherever we are."

Harry nodded. "O-Okay," she said.

Ree led them out of the bedroom and back into the apartment. Nothing seemed to be moving. She let out a breath and continued on. They really needed better weapons. The town looked like it would be brimming with people armed with knives and possibly even guns. As much as she knew that Harry wouldn't want to use a weapon—probably not even hold one—Ree knew that she would have to arm them both.

The apartment door opened into a flooded hallway. The floor above leaked water into large puddles. The carpet squished beneath their feet and something seemed to be growing up the walls. It smelt like mushrooms—and not even the good kind. Ree took a deep breath and tried to ignore the fact that her heart wanted to jump out of her body and flee into the horizon.

She checked there was nothing waiting to slice her on the floor above before she stuck her head over the banister and looked down. They were only two floors up.

The stairs squeaked as they walked down them. _Of course they would_, Ree thought. They didn't say anything; Ree didn't trust her voice if she did try to say something. She wanted nothing more than to have her pokemon out with her, Whippy coiled around her protectively, Harper searching for threats from the sky and Lala just murdering the fuck out of whatever decided to sneak up on them. But it was too quiet. The pokeballs opening would sound like explosions. Everything would get drawn to them.

The front door opened, creaking on its hinges. Nothing leapt out of the street at them. Ree moved slowly out of the door, Harry's hands trembling as they gripped into her sleeves. She could hear water rushing nearby, like a big pipe had broken. Someone kicked a can in a street a block or two away. The sound echoed for what felt like forever and set Ree's nerves on edge.

"I don't like this," Harry mumbled. "This doesn't seem like one of the Halloween events a local government would sponsor."

"This doesn't seem like anything that should _exist,_" Ree said. She looked down the street. Bags of chips were opened and spilled out into the puddles. Crates of beer looked like they had been slashed open and the bottles stolen from inside. Ree was sure that there were syringes buried underneath piles of paper. Used or clean, she didn't want to go anywhere near any of them.

"I'm going to let out Whippy," Ree whispered. She looked back at Harry. Her eyes were still as wide as saucers. "Anything comes out of the shadows, let me know, alright?"

"O-Okay."

Ree nodded and retrieved Whippy's pokeball. The sound would be ungodly around here and if there was anything nearby it would come running. Hopefully not for their blood.

Ree's ears rang as she released Whippy. The light was nearly as offensive to her senses as the sound. Whippy hissed and bared his fangs as he was released. Ree's nerves practically went into overdrive—he _never_ came out aggressive, not even in most battles. Whippy coiled himself around her, fangs still bared at the distance as he flicked his tongue against her face.

"Ser," he hissed into her ear. "Servine."

"I don't like it either," Ree said. "But we need to figure out where we are, alright? Be a good boy and keep a lookout for anything."

"Ree?"

Her stomach dropped. Harry's voice sounded far too frightened for anything good to be happening. Ree spun around and found Harry nervously staring to the end of the street. Ree didn't ask any questions. She just spun back and found herself staring at a guy standing underneath one of the many flickering street lamps.

They stared at each other in silence for a minute. Whippy tensed around her. He didn't trust the man and neither did she.

Finally Ree got tired of the silence. "Hey asshole!" she shouted. "Either tell us what the hell's going on here or get the hell out of my sight!"

The man lurched forwards a step. It didn't seem like his legs knew how to walk. It was more falling forwards than actually stepping. He moved forwards just enough for Ree to catch sight of him.

He had _scales_. Honest-to-fuck green _scales_ across his neck and his face. His eyes looked like they were red, but that couldn't have been possible. His suit was ripped in places and a hole through his shirt showed that even his stomach was covered in scales.

"Hey—!" Ree shouted, but her voice came out as nothing more than a squeak.

"Vine," Whippy growled.

Then the man dropped to the floor and _slithered_ towards them.

Ree's scream was louder than Harry's. She didn't take the time to process how stupid it was that a man in a suit was _slithering _across the floor like a serperior at her. He moved so fast that one moment he was on the opposite side of the street and the next he was nearly in their faces. He had fangs. He had a forked tongue. He was by all rights the mutant lovechild of a snivy and a human.

Whippy hissed and leapt from Ree's shoulders. She shouted after him, Sophia II raised. Harry was still screaming, her grip tightening in the back of Ree's sweater. Whippy jumped the snake-man and sunk his fangs into the man's throat. The man hissed a sound almost exactly like Whippy. He tucked his legs together like a tail and snapped out at Whippy, catching him in the side. Whippy cried out and fell into a puddle. Ree started, moving towards serpent-man with every intention of pounding his head in.

Instead Whippy leapt from the ground, his tail leaf shining. There was a crack and suddenly serpent-man dropped to the floor, wriggling like his spine had been broken. He hissed at Whippy, bared his own fangs and looked like he was about to spit something at him. Whippy sunk his fangs into the man's throat and this time came away with a chunk of flesh.

Whippy had just killed a serpent-man. Ree knew she should have been horrified at it. Her mind was still in too much shock over the fact that a serpent-man _existed_ to process the thought that Whippy had just killed one.

Then Harry screamed again and Ree saw another slithering towards them. She raised Sophia II and brought it down against his head. Something cracked and it wasn't her bat. The serpent-man dropped and screaming, Ree hit his head again and again until the ground beneath him was running red with blood.

She stopped when Sophia clanged against the sidewalk. There was no skull left to crush. Ree looked at her work, took three steps away and vomited everything she had in her stomach.

_What the holy fuck is going on_? Ree looked down and saw that she was covered in blood and bits of bone. It made her want to vomit again. Shouldn't Allen have appeared by now to scold her?

"Ser? Servine?"

She looked down and saw Whippy nudging at her. She smiled at him. "I'm alright. Don't worry."

Harry was another matter entirely. She seemed to have curled into a ball near the remains of Ree's victim. "Harry?" Ree tried. It didn't get much of a reaction. "Harry? Come on, we can't break down just yet."

"I-I... oh my _god_ Ree, what was he? He just came out of nowhere and he looks like he's part snivy and there shouldn't be anyone that has skin covered in as many scales as that!"

"I'm not sure Harry. But it looks like whatever lives down here is going to be perfectly happy to try and kill us. We're going to have to defend ourselves." She took a breath. It was going to sound like a stupid idea, but... "You're going to have to let out Jackster."

Harry sniffed and wiped her nose with her sleeve. "J-Jackster? But with everything happening down here?"

"I know," Ree said. "But he's your strongest pokemon and you don't have a weapon of your own. If you're in danger, he won't be skittish about helping you. Now come on." She reached down and grabbed her arm. "We need to get out of here. I don't know what's happening, but I'm willing to guess that whatever lives down here might hunt by the smell of blood."

Harry looked at her in horror. "Ree, your clothes!"

"Don't worry, it's not mine," Ree said. It didn't sound anywhere _near_ as reassuring as she hoped it would.

Harry pulled at the hem of her sweater. "Um, I don't know, Ree. I mean, what if..."

"What if more of them start slithering after us?!" Ree noticed how loud her voice was getting and flinched. "Look Harry, I know that exposing our pokemon to this might not be in the bests of their interests, but the fact is unless we have something out that can defend us, we might end up being turned into something like one of these." She gestured at the remains of Whippy's kill. it was considerably less gruesome than her own. "Harry, _please_."

She couldn't say the rest. _I can't fight all this on my own._ Ree wasn't sure if Harry would be able to cope if she admitted that. So she maintained a brave face, freaking out on the inside all the while.

"Ser!" Whippy put in. His fangs glistened red with blood. Ree did her best not to think about what had caused it.

"O-Okay," Harry said and released Jackster. His eyes seemed to bug out as he took in everything around him and for one moment Ree was afraid that he was going to run off into the distance and they'd never see him again.

"Bli," he neighed instead, flattening his ears and pressing his face against Harry's. She stroked his nose and whispered reassurances to him.

The stupid jukebox at the end of the street was still glowing. Ree scowled at it. She couldn't make out what it was saying from such a distance, but surely if it had a source of constant power, it had to be something important, right?

She voiced such thoughts to Harry. "I think so," she mumbled in agreement.

"Ser," Whippy hissed, holding aloft a syringe filled with glowing red liquid. "Servine."

"Shit, Whippy!" Ree yelped, snatched the thing out of his hands and threw it as far away as she could. "That wasn't a toy. That was _dangerous_, you hear me?"

"Vine," he mumbled, drooping his head.

Ree pressed a hand to her face and sighed. "Just... don't do it again, alright?" She couldn't be dealing with mutant serpent-men. Ones that happened to be carrying syringes full of glowing mystery liquids didn't exactly make things better. She had to find out what they were full of before she let Lala loose anywhere. Knowing that demon she'd end up stabbing something with them. Ree didn't want them to turn out to be something that made pokemon evolve instantly or something equally as fun.

"Th-That's a mr mime," Harry said as they approached the jukebox. It shone bright orange. Ree was sure it only made the shadows around it seem bigger and likely to eat her. She wanted to dismiss it as nothing more than her imagination, but quickly thought better of it. If anything happened, she would let Sophia II do the talking and then her brain could try to make sense of everything afterward.

"W-Why would they choose something like that? It's so creepy."

Jackster whined in agreement. Ree turned her head to see him pressed to Harry, moving achingly slowly. Harry was having to play lookout for both of them. Harper would be an amazing lookout, but Ree wasn't sure if the skies were full of monsters too. It was stupid to think of bird-people fluttering about in the shadows between buildings, but yesterday she had thought men covered in scales were just the stuff of medical science.

"_Welcome, to the circus of value!"_

The jukebox came out with the creepiest fucking laugh Ree had ever heard. She wanted to smash it in the face for that alone. Whippy coiled around her protectively and hissed at it, whilst Jackster had begun to panic at the sudden sound.

Whatever it was, it was apparently something between a vending machine and an information kiosk. Typically all the information screens were unavailable. Ree sighed and picked up a pamphlet that wasn't too soaked by rain.

"Shit, listen to this Harry. It says here that those syringes are filled with some sort of stuff from ditto. apparently it rewrites a pokemon's biology within seconds and lets them do stuff they shouldn't do." She held out the pamphlet and showed her a picture of a samurott breathing fire. "If they were anything else, I'd say they were pretty awesome."

Harry took the pamphlet off her, hands shaking. "I-It says that humans could use them too. What do you think would happen if they did?"

As if in answer, Ree saw movement in the shadows.

She didn't even think about it this time. She released all of her pokemon and hoped it would be enough to keep the monsters at bay. "Don't be freaked out by anything in here," Ree said, her voice only trembling a little. "Whatever's happening, it looks like they're happy to kill us, so don't be afraid to treat them in kind."

She could have sworn Lala cackled and rubbed her hands together in glee.

"Stay away from anything that looks like this," Ree said, taking the pamphlet back and showing them the syringes. "They're bad, okay?"

It was at that moment that Ree noticed how quiet everything had become. She was sure that the sounds of her breathing shouldn't have been so loud.

Then something whistled through the air and landed in the house behind them with a _thunk_. Ree saw it and nearly had a heart attack.

"Who the fuck just tried to shoot me with a _crossbow?!"_

It was all her pokemon needed. Lala leapt into the air and grabbed hold of Harper's legs as they took flight. Another whistling sound pierced the air. Harper trilled and spun around in the air. Ree screamed, frightened, but then she righted herself and Ree saw that Harper was just dodging. Lala's cackles echoed above them all as fine, yellow stun spore fell like rain.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Ree saw something move.

Then there was no breath in her lungs and she was ass-first in a puddle.

And Harry's screams were hauntingly similar to Mitzi's.

Ree swore and leapt to her feet. Whippy hissed, vines out and wrapped around something human's throat. It might have been a woman once, but her skin seemed to have become as gray as rock. Her hair had fallen out in random clumps. She shrieked and batted as Unika floated around her, latching onto the back of her neck and sparking wildly.

But the woman had friends. Two of them advanced on Harry. She was sprawled out on the floor, slowly crawling away. Jackster was stood above her, a fury on his face that Ree had never seen before.

"_Bli_!" he roared. And then he begun to glow.

_About time_, Ree wanted to say. At least _something_ was coming from all of this craziness. Instead she raised Sophia II and helped Whippy and Unika dispose of their attacker. She spun Sophia II in her hands and waited for something else to attack.

The screams of Harry's attackers weren't even human. Ree saw a now evolved Jackster sink his teeth into the neck of one of them. He sparked wildly, snarling as he did so. His hooves seemed to catch fire as he kicked the other in the chest. Ree wouldn't have believed anyone could have caught fire so easily if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

And then she saw that the flaming monster fell right onto a patch of stun spore.

Ree had all of a moment to shout, "Oh fuck!" before all the stun spore caught fire and exploded.

She flinched when the sound reverberated against her ears. A moment passed where she felt an unreal amount of heat wash over the world.

And then, she was amazed to find that she was still breathing.

She opened her eyes slowly and found Whippy coiled around her chest, Unika bobbing up and down in front of her. Harper dropped down in front of her, depositing a slightly singed Lala onto the sidewalk. Harry had her arms around her new zebstrika.

And there was a shining green dome protecting them from the raging fires consuming the block.

Ree turned to find the source of their savior. When she did, she gasped as if punched in the stomach.

Vince's eyes glowed as green as the dome above them. Casually leaning an arm on his gigalith, Scott winked at her.

"The hero always arrives just in time."

Ree did the only thing that made sense. She fainted.

-.-.-

"... give her space, okay?"

"I'm sure she'll be fine!"

"Servine ser!"

"Ow! Damn, why did her servine just bite me?"

"I-I don't know! Maybe because you scared her into fainting?"

"... that wasn't how it was supposed to happen. I was meant to surprise her in a good way."

"Lith, gigalith."

Ree groaned and threw an arm over her face. "You all speak too loudly," she growled. "Let me sleep."

Instead she was grabbed by several different pairs of hands and arms at once. Different voices shouted at her in pokemon and human tongues and she felt like everyone was trying to grab her and make sure she was real.

A pair of arms wrapped around her neck. Ree breathed in deeply. She recognized the touch instantly. She hadn't realized how long it had been—how much she had missed it. She closed her eyes and pretended that everything was normal for just a moment.

Then Whippy hissed a, "Servine!" and slapped Scott away with his tail.

"Ow!" Scott yelped, shaking his hand. "Your servine doesn't like me, Ree."

"Be thankful it's just him showing his hatred. It could be Lala."

Scott gave her a confused look. "Who's La—"

The whimsicott answered by jumping into his face and screaming a tirade of obscenities. Ree noticed even Vince blush at Lala's threats. Scott, for what little he understood, stared at the little ball of doom and fluff as if it had come from the bowels of hell itself. Sometimes, Ree figured that might have been the case.

"A-Are you okay?" Harry mumbled, her cheeks pink as she went to touch Ree's shoulders. "We were so worried."

"I'm fine," Ree whispered. She wrapped a hand around her stomach. "You don't think fainting is bad for... _it_, do you?"

Harry took a moment to understand. "It? Oh, no! I don't think so. I'm sure a lot of women faint when they find out they're pregnant."

And then the two worst words that Ree had ever heard came from Scott's mouth.

"Who's pregnant?"

Ree sat on the floor, mouth open and lost for words. Harry turned as red as her hair. What could Ree say? This wasn't how she planned it to happen. Hell, she didn't even _have_ a plan for when Scott would find out! She was hoping she could just have the kid and then suddenly bump into him and everything would be magical.

Ree took a deep breath. She really didn't want to be having this conversation, but this weird place was fucking with everything reality was supposed to contain. Maybe she wouldn't get another chance to tell him.

And then Harry squeaked, "I-I am."

Ree didn't know who looked more surprised, Scott or her. Harry was bright red and looking at the floor. Ree could have kissed her. She waited for Scott to berate her for being so young, to say everything that she had imagined him saying and the shame that would come with it.

Instead, he was practically giddy. "That's so awesome! I mean, you're so young but that has to mean it will be so cute! Have you thought of any names? Are you having a boy or a girl? Can I touch your stomach?" He started at the last question and looked at Ree, his face as red as Harry's. "I mean... totally in a normal, feel-the-baby kind of way. Nothing more than that."

"It's fine," Ree said. Her brain was still trying to play catch up. She looked around and saw that their surroundings had changed. It was like she was in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Everything around her seemed to have been blackened and burnt to charcoal. Buildings were crumbling and falling down. Lala seemed pleased at the destruction she had wrought.

One thing was off, though. "Why is that building still perfectly fine?"

Harry and Scott both looked at her, frozen with Scott's hands on her stomach. Ree could have laughed at the expression on both their faces. Instead she pointed behind them. "Look. Everything's burnt down but that place."

They turned and saw what she meant. In the middle of burnt-out buildings was a three-story townhouse. All the lights in the top floor were on. Lights flicked on and off in the other floors, but it wasn't random. it was almost as if someone were living there.

"Zeb," Jackster grunted, his ears flat as he trod at the ground nervously.

"W-What should we do?" Harry asked.

Sophia II felt right in Ree's hands. "We're going to investigate," she said.

-.-.-

"So how did you even get here then?"

Ree felt her ears burn a little. "There was a form for a Halloween event that was slipped under our door," she said. "I put mine and Harry's names on it."

"Huh," Scott said. "Same thing happened with me. So how come you're traveling this time, Ree? You've never stuck it out for this long before."

"Vine," Whippy said from around her neck. Ree nodded and stroked his head. Her other pokemon were tucked away in their pokeballs, resting. It seemed that the mutants had survived the fires. Keeping her pokemon out was safer, but it drained their strength. So each of them kept out one pokemon, just in case something happened.

"Let's not get into that right now," Ree said. "Look, we're nearly there."

The house was at the end of the street. Ree could see that it had two tall stone statues on either side of the door. They were like purrloin, sort of, but with strange tails. Ree had seen them before but she didn't totally know what they were.

"A-Are you sure we should be doing this?" Harry whispered.

"I don't see any other way out of this place right now," Scott said. From by his side, Yorick barked in agreement. "Alright," he said, placing his hand against the front door. "Ready?"

"Just open the damn door," Ree growled. Scott nodded and did so. The inside of the house was modern. It was strange to see, given the state of everything else. The halls were white and bare—like a show home, Ree thought.

The first room they found was full of toys for purrloin kittens. The walls were covered in tiny paw prints. The floor was littered with different toys, but there were no kittens in sight.

"Weird," Ree deduced.

The second room they found made Harry turn so red that Ree thought she might actually begin to boil.

"Th-That," Harry stammered, "wasn't wh-what I was expecting."

"To be perfectly fair, who usually has a room full of gay porn anyway?" Scott asked.

"Clearly whoever owns this house," Ree muttered. Whippy uncoiled himself from her and walked alongside, saying nothing. Their pokemon were eerily silent. It was almost like they knew whatever they were going to find was powerful.

The third room was covered in posters of deerling and sawsbuck. There was even a life-size replica of each. Ree was certain they had worn away from where someone had to have been stroking them.

The fourth room was where the crazy truly began (and that was saying something). It was the only room on the second floor and was as big as an entire floor of Ree's house. The room was a mess. The desk was overturned, a chair was broken on the floor and a bed had all the stuffing ripped out of the mattress and thrown across the floor.

And all across the walls was writing.

Ree didn't pay attention to all of it, though it seemed like insane ramblings. '_Abomasnow' _and '_heroshipping'_ and '_Playthings'_.

Harry looked even more nervous now she had recalled Jackster. he couldn't quite manage the climb up the stairs with the rest of them, given his new size. "Th-This doesn't look good," she said.

"I sure hope whoever we find here makes more sense than these scribbles do," Scott said. He pointed at one. "I have no idea who or what Vai is, but the amount of love hearts around the name isn't exactly a good thing."

Whippy was silent as they walked up the stairs again. The top floor of the house was just a long, dark corridor, at the end of which was a door that bright light shone out of. Every instinct Ree had told her to get away and pretend that she hadn't seen anything. But something told her that it was the only way they were going to get out of there.

So she took a breath, walked up to the door and shoved it open.

Inside was not what she was expecting. There was a wall of television monitors, each displaying a different feed. She saw the Champion's Tragedy, a boy bursting into sneezes at the sight of an electabuzz, a documentary on sawsbuck, multiple screens filled with kittens and most terrifying of all, she saw her, Scott and Harry all staring stupidly at everything.

There was a single chair in front of the monitors. It spun around slowly. "Welcome," the figure in it said. "It looks like you've found my little domain."

It was another of the creatures. This one was a woman who had bright orange ears and an equally orange tail like those she'd seen on the statues outside. She tucked a strand of blond hair behind her ear and smiled, crossing her legs neatly. "So, what brings you here?"

Ree took a step towards her and brandished Sophia II. "I want the hell out of here, that's what!"

The woman looked at the baseball bat and rolled her eyes. With a wave of her hand it became a bunch of wilted, drooping flowers.

"Silly Ree," the figure said, "you can't threaten me. I control everything you do."

"Whippy!" Ree growled defiantly. Instead her servine stared at the creature with wide eyes until finally he walked over to her and coiled around her chair lovingly. Even Yorick wandered over and pressed his head into the woman's hand.

"See?" said the woman. "Your pokemon know their god when they see her."

Ree couldn't help herself. "For a god, you sure do have a strange obsession with man-love."

"What can I say?" The figure shrugged. "I like pretty things. Now, it seems that since you've discovered me, you probably think I'm going to be all nice and give you a chance to go back to your normal lives. Well, you're wrong. I'm not a nice god. If I wanted to do that, I'd just wipe your memories and put you right back where I wanted you like last time."

"Then why don't you?" Scott asked.

"Because silly, you're my playthings. Now, maybe if you play nice and do exactly what I ask, without me having to make you do it, I might put everything back to normal. What do you say?"

"Wh-What do you want us to do?" Harry asked.

-.-.-

"Our god is evil," Ree growled.

Harry nudged her in the side. "Shush! She'll hear you!"

"I don't care!" Ree hissed. She groaned and dropped her face on the keyboard. "How am I meant to keep up with all the crazy shit she wants me to write? It's unreal!"

"A-At least she doesn't make you write the smut," Harry said.

"I'd prefer that," Ree said defiantly.

Scott walked past at that moment, dressed only in a feather boa and a mini skirt. "I'll trade everything I own for either of you to take over from me."

Ree just raised an eyebrow at him. "But your legs are so much better suited for that than mine."

Scott just glowered at her, hovering outside the large red doors. Ree couldn't blame him for not wanting to go inside. She'd seen the way their god acted inside.

The door opened and out stumbled a half naked man with golden eyes. "It's going to be a long day," he said, his black hair sweaty and plastered against his face. "She's making Allen serve her grapes whilst Vai fans her."

"You know," Ree said as the man ran out of the room, "I know he killed a lot of people and started a lot of shit, but maybe the punishment is a bit too harsh."

Scott didn't say anything. Instead a voice shouted out from inside the other room, "Where is my latest skitten?"

He sighed. "I guess I have to go entertain our god."

"Do your best," Ree said with a strained smile. "We don't want her getting bored of us. You saw what she did with the other one."

"I-Isn't he still in hospital?" Harry asked, eyes wide.

Ree shrugged. "I think so. Golden-eyes still isn't happy about it. She says it ups the angst and tension though. I think she's just a little bit on the wrong side of crazy."

"And why do you think that?"

Ree gulped and looked up. Sure enough _she_ was there, stood over her computer.

"Well," Ree said slowly.

"I don't think anything you say is going to get you out of this, is it?"

Ree settled for biting the inside of her cheek. "No."

"Good!" their god declared. "Now be a good creation and do my work for me. I can't write whilst I'm using and abusing these men. Well, I _can_, but it's less fun that way."

And just like that, she was gone.

Ree stared at the space she had left. "Is it bad that I'm kind of jealous?"

Harry didn't say anything.

"Oh, and I've decided on your punishment."

Ree looked up sharply as _she_ appeared again. She swallowed heavily. "What is it?"

_She_ smiled darkly. "Scottie, I think you should know that Harry isn't pregnant. Ree is."

That was the day that Ree swore she would learn how to kill a god.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Don't look at me like that, Jackster evolved, didn't he? Next time we're back to our regularly scheduled programming.

(Disclaimer: Most of you were likely bracing yourselves for this, but in all honesty, dear skittens, I am 100% innocent in this. I didn't write this chapter. The ever-hilarious, super-british, ultra-perverted Crukix did, he of the evil gardevoir and grimdark fame. If you want your dose of skitty writing, go check out _his_ new chapter... And for the record, YES, this was an april fool's prank. Every skitty story gets one, apparently.)


	28. Of Sweets and Scares

"I'm getting real tired of the 'your princess is in another castle' shit," Scott groused. Gripping the controller tightly, he tilted back his head to look at Ree. He looked deceptively calm. "Make it stop."

"Stop," she replied. The game didn't stop.

"What is with the damsels in distress everywhere in games? And what is _with_ the fact that they move everywhere?! I hadn't thought that evil overlords _had_ that many dungeons to shove them in!" He broke off with a sigh that transformed into a whine. Scott nuzzled into her thigh and she brushed his bangs out of his eyes, trying to resist laughing at him.

"Someone has to be the victim of the evil dude. Otherwise he's not evil."

"At least Link gets to stab him with a sword," Scott grumbled. "Mario just jumps on him or swings him by the tail."

"I thought Zelda usually helps with her light arrows."

"_And_ you can use a fishing rod or empty bottle, I guess," he said.

"So Mario still gets the short end of the stick," Ree agreed. She vastly preferred stabbing and shooting to jumping and swinging, anyway.

"I'd say Peach does. At least Zelda gets to shoot arrows into Ganon's ass half the time. Peach just gets her cakes ruined and otherwise gets perved on by a giant dragon."

"Don't worry, you're more of a Zelda than a Peach, anyway," she said with a tug on his hair. Scott huffed at her. "I'll come swinging my sword any time you need rescuing, princess."

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Sweets and Scares

-.-.-

The day Ree finally lost her place in the tournament, she woke with a foul mood. She was pretty sure she had a weird dream, but it wasn't like the woobat one. She couldn't recall much more than Scott making an appearance and someone evolving. Jackster? That sounded right.

She considered it a good omen for the end of the month.

What _wasn't_ right was that day's battle. Ree faced down an emolga, an emboar, and a vanillish; the team seemed perfectly built to completely wreck her own team. It was dumb luck that let her see all three rounds: her opponent switched out each time, anticipating disadvantages. What a joke that was. To make it an absolutely perfect loss, the referee's phone went off at the end. His ringtone had been the _Final Fantasy_ victory tune.

Whippy led her out of the stadium by the hand, and then slithered up onto her shoulders as they exited. He was getting heavier, larger, and it was hardly no time at all before Ree was staggering underneath his weight.

"At least you made it far," Harry said, falsely bright. "Y-You even got money from the last round..."

"But I could have gotten _more_! And I was so close to getting a free shot at Clay!" Ree cried as she fought to get Whippy off of her. He refused to leave, and she ended up walking the rest of the way to the center with him in her arms. She handed over the rest of her team and sat on the couch. He stayed happily in her lap. "Why are you so clingy today?"

"Servine," he replied.

"I couldn't have used you in that battle. Lala's faster, and it ended up being painful for everyone, anyway. We lost, mister, and let's leave it at that."

"Ser," Whippy whined, butting his head up under her chin. She tried not to, but ended up cracking a smile.

"Yeah, we'll do better next time. And I guess going through the gym normally will be some good practice... Too bad Uni won't be of much use." Then again, the gym was closed until after Halloween. They had a few days to bum around, get costumes together, (formulate an awesome evolution plan), and there were plenty of trainers still in Driftveil to battle. Birds and water pokémon were common enough.

Ree's phone went off with a text tone. Wondering if it was Scott—she hadn't heard from him in a couple days—she flipped it open, and was instead surprised to find the return address as Kev's. "_can you plz not worry harry into an aneurysm by acting like a serial killer_"

"_why didn't you spell please but could spell aneurysm right?_" Ree texted back sourly. She looked up at Harry, who was fretting with a scarf she'd been working on. She caught Ree's eye and smiled, but there was still an undercurrent of tension.

"_she says shes worried about you. have you been scaring more baby trainerlings?_"

Okay, maybe she had been a little rough with some of her opponents. And maybe she had been dismissive of some of Harry's concerns. And maybe she had cackled once when thinking about her master plan of getting Jackster to evolve. But why had Harry been worrying so much?

Harry sighed and set down the scarf. The nurse at the desk called Ree for her pokémon, but the redhead stood up quickly. "I-I'll get them! You can stay there." And she was gone before Ree could protest.

There were two rational reasons for Harry fretting over her, Ree knew. She was either worried about Ree losing her temper, or she was worried about the pregnancy. She pursed her lips. Neither was an appealing option. She would _not_ lose her temper and become some sort of rage beast... That reminded her far too much of Tori. She wasn't _that_ bad, was she?

"_Are you free tonight? We should video chat so you can soothe her & we can catch up._" Ree texted Kev.

By the time he replied, Harry had come back, beaming, with Ree's pokeballs. "_i get off at 8_"

They had time to burn, then. Ree stood up, dumping Whippy off her lap, and stretched. "Let's look for Halloween costumes today. I had a weird dream that kinda inspired me." Getting out and about would keep Harry's mind occupied, and Ree _was_ into Halloween. And then they'd talk to Kev, and he'd go all big-brother voice-of-reason on them, and everything would be calm and peaceful until Halloween. Of course, then all hell would break loose, but at least that would be planned in advance.

Harry talked her into another trip to the yarn store. With all of her non-battling time, she'd worked up quite the pile of knitted items. She swore up and down that she could sell them easily, but Ree was starting to think it was her equivalent of a nervous tic. Next to that shop, however, a building had been rented out for costumes and accessories, so Ree begged off to go peruse that.

It was better than she had even hoped. Of course, she was more of a build-it costumer rather than a buyer, but nothing said inspiration like getting mad at all of the 'sexy' costumes for girls. Sexy liepard, sexy vespiquen, sexy Eskimo, sexy pirate, sexy flapper, even things like sexy hippies and sexy zombies. She nearly peed herself laughing when she saw a sexy heatmor costume. If Harry hadn't shown up right then, Ree probably would have bought it for herself just for the sheer hilarity factor.

"I hadn't thought you were so into Halloween," Harry said as she led the still-laughing brunette away from that display.

"Maya and I used to get all dressed up for it... It was just a thing we did. I've always liked dressing up, though, but ahaha... Some of these ideas are just so fuckin' terrible, I can't even begin to take them seriously. Sure I can't be a sexy heatmor?"

"D-Didn't you say something about getting a good idea from your dream?"

"Oh! That's right—hold on, I just want to check to see if they have something in stock."

Ree ducked out from under her arm and rushed to the back. All sorts of lights were strung up. Rope lights, packages of glowsticks, fake torches, fake cauldrons, a wide array of flashlights, and more. It took a little digging, but Ree eventually came up with her prize: a lantern with real glass and metal. There were slits in the glass near the top and no room for oil on the bottom, but it looked real enough.

"That's... nice?" Harry guessed, unsure of why Ree looked so pleased with herself.

"So... Harry. Friend. Darling. What do you say to a trade?"

"...Huh?"

"This is a lantern made especially for small fire pokémon, but _especially_ especially for litwick. If you let me borrow Shady for this, for my costume, I'll let you use Lala."

"Why would I want... I mean, what? Wh-Why do you need Shady?" Harry asked in bewilderment.

"My costume needs a lantern."

"Wh-Why would _I_ want Lala?"

"Because I bet I can put together a Bo Peep costume for you, and I bet Lala would make a _great_ mareep."

Harry's eyes practically sparkled.

With that, it was sealed. Ree had her lantern, and Harry had a costume idea for herself. Ree refused to let Harry even look at the pre-made costumes, especially since the overall quality was pretty shitty anyway, but instead grabbed a couple of articles to build one instead. The cashier asked if Ree wanted to rent a litwick for her lantern on Halloween, but Ree happily said no. She had never gotten to use an actual one before, as much as she would have wanted. Rental pokémon were terribly expensive around Halloween.

They stopped at a thrift shop to go scrounging for other pieces of costumes. Ree felt confident in her ability to do this, since both of their costumes were pretty normal all things considered, although Harry's crook was going to be difficult. But with nothing else to do until the end of the month, she figured she had time to make one. She picked out the perfect brown jacket for herself, and on a whim, an old trainer belt, too. That wouldn't be for her costume, but what Harry didn't know wouldn't hurt her.

They ate an early dinner, and before their video call with Kev, Ree managed to 'accidentally' make one of the pokémon center's brooms go missing. (Also without Harry's knowledge.) She broke off the end, coaxed Whippy into helping her smooth it down, and now all she'd need was some sort of curly part for the top...

Eight rolled around and while Harry was confused, Ree pushed her down into the tech room. It was a mix of a computer lab and video phones for trainers to use, and only had one other person in it, a boy surfing the web. He blushed and quickly changed tabs as the girls walked in. "Wh-Why are we down here? What's the rush, Ree?"

Ree logged into her trainer account and gleefully clicked on Kev's screen name. Harry scooted in close, making a surprised sound. "It's been awhile since I've seen—"

Her excuse got cut off as he picked up. "Hello there, girls."

"And there's my favorite eye candy!" Ree crowed in delight. Kev pinched the bridge of his nose. "...Woah, nice glasses."

"They're reading glasses, and they're new, okay," he ground out.

"No, seriously. They look good on you." Ree set her chin in her hands and sighed.

"Um, hi, Kev," Harry broke in, before they could get to bickering. Or one-sided flirting. It was difficult to tell sometimes. "Gosh, we haven't seen each other in awhile."

"Not since I accidentally drunk dialed you," he admitted, smiling guiltily.

"...You drunk dialed Harry? You got _drunk_?" Ree asked. She wasn't sure which part to be more appalled at.

"It was when I was home. I was online, and he managed to call me from his cell phone," Harry supplied.

Ree wasn't sure how to feel about them talking without her. Yes, she knew that they were friends outside of her influence, but it felt weird to have that brought up in front of her. She felt... a little left out, if she was being honest. She made a vague mental note to keep in better contact with him from then on.

"Let's talk about something else," Kev said, pushing his glasses up a bit. He was abruptly shoved back in his chair as his spoink hopped up onto his desk, bouncing on his keyboard. "Oh, uh—Visoka wants to say hi."

Visoka snorted into the microphone, and then licked the camera.

"I think he sort of misses battling with your teams. He's not sure how to handle working in the bug gym, being a psychic type and all." At his trainer's word, the purple swine snorted again, angrily. Kev chuckled and carefully took him off the computer desk. "Speaking of battling, how have you two been doing?"

Smooth as ever. Ree just barely managed not to roll her eyes. "Well, you know, got kicked out of a tournament. Bought a cool lantern today though."

"Harry, why is preggers purchasing things that are made to be set on fire?"

"_Preggers?!_" Ree screeched, making the other boy in the room jump horribly.

Kev ducked down and held up Visoka like a shield. "That one was my fault, I apologize. But Burgh is the one who keeps referring to you that way. Elesa stopped by for a visit this past weekend and they both asked me how you were doing. I think he has half the gym trainers convinced his leavanny is pregnant."

Ree wasn't sure which was worse, that Burgh still remembered her or that Elesa still remembered her. As she pondered that, Harry gently steered the conversation back into safer waters. "How has your job been going, Kev? Is Burgh planning anything for Halloween?"

"Every other year, we put on a haunted house for the public. But this year, it's Elesa's turn—she's putting on some sort of spooky masquerade ball. It's less work for me, and it means I get the night off."

"You should come up and join us for our party! Driftveil is having a large one for trainers!" Harry burst out.

"I only get Halloween off. It wouldn't be worth the travel time." Harry drooped, so Kev added with a sad smile, "Sorry. Maybe next year you guys can come to this one and see me dressed up. There was some talk of sexy vampires or something... I don't get why the girls were in a tizzy over it."

Picturing Kev as a sexy vampire was nice—okay, maybe she was going a little stir-crazy with all of the new hormones and no action—but the 'next year' bit was... unsettling. She hardly had planned out what to do after getting rid of her baby problem, much less continuing after that. Training was fun, sure, but it was also hell. Would she want to continue...?

_Kev's only an hour away from home_, she reminded herself, pushing other thoughts away. _I can visit him anyway_.

"We'll make sure to send you pictures of our costumes. Ree is going to be helping me make mine," Harry said proudly.

"Oh! And Kev, guess who I'm gonna be!"

"Um."

"Hint: I use a lantern."

"Um," he repeated. "...Hal Jordan?"

"No—video game character."

"You're not going to go as the Batter?" Kev asked.

"No! Daniel, from _Amnesia_!" Ree exclaimed, exasperated. And he called himself a gamer, for _shame_. There was a beat of confusion, but then his eyes widened and he broke into a wide, amused smile that distracted Ree a little more than it probably should have. Definitely going stir-crazy.

"You'll have to send me pictures of that. I've never really gotten to do specific characters as costumes before, but Burgh is letting us borrow clothing from his gym collection, so I may rehash Link."

"Scottie and I did Link and Zelda last year. I think there are still some pictures of us on his phone." Not on hers, since she had managed to break her previous phone last May in what she swore was a freak amateur bungee jumping accident. "His ass looked great in that dress, too," she added dreamily.

Harry coughed awkwardly. Kev choked back a laugh. "Right. Harry, what—or who—exactly are you going to be going as?"

"Oh, um, Bo Peep. Lala will be dressed as a mareep, and I think I can find something for Jackster and Shady to wear easily. Ree seems confident we can, anyway..."

"Totally!"

They lapsed into less and less relevant chatter. Talking to Kev again was nice, and oddly calming. He just seemed so normal and level after what happened in and after Nimbasa. Ree desperately wanted to get his opinion on her plan to make Jackster evolve, especially since he had seen firsthand what the blitzle was like, but she couldn't think of a way to politely get rid of Harry.

It seemed as if the gods took pity on her, however. While Ree was gleefully showing off Unika and the larger Harper, the tynamo spilled her soda all over Ree's pants. After Ree was done swearing (and Kev was done trying to smother his laughs), Harry pointed out that they had to do laundry and they may as well do it that night since they could sleep in the next morning and it would've give the stain time to set. "Why don't you go change and put the first load in, and I'll watch it for the second load?"

Ree could have kissed her.

She had never been so happy to do laundry; by giving Harry and Kev time to talk now, she could corner him later. And best of all, it had been _Harry's_ idea so she wouldn't look like she was planning or plotting or anything! She practically had a skip in her step. They normally had about two loads of laundry to do if they pooled their clothes, which they normally did, so they could separate the darks and the lights. Ree didn't quite get the process but Harry insisted upon it.

She spent the half hour of washing painting her nails and chatting with her pokémon. One-way chatting, but that sort of unexpected win in the stealth department had her hyper. Harry texted her to trade off, and Ree sprinted for the tech room.

"Wh-Why aren't you wearing pants?" Harry asked, eyes wide.

"They're in the wash. My turn!" She shooed off the redhead and plopped down in her seat, all smiles for Kev. He arched an eyebrow.

"No pants?"

Ree waved off his concerns and got down to business. "No one's awake anyway. Okay, so, assuming you had a lovely chat with Harry, I have a plan to tell you about."

-.-.-

"Do you have a camera?"

"Um, no."

"Huh." It turned out that cameras were actually pretty low on a trainer's list of things to have. Phone cameras usually did in a pinch, unless you were trying to take a picture of a full body costume, with squirming pokémon, from a small bathroom mirror. Even taking each other's photos was difficult. And Ree wanted to show off everything, dammit. She worked hard on that crook. Even if it had come out slightly lopsided. Harry was pleased with it, either way.

And it could be used as an emergency weapon.

You know, just in case.

"Well, whatever. Okay, you ready? Lala, _stop_ it," Ree scolded. Her whimsicott froze, teeth in the yellowed ruff around her neck. They had found pokémon-friendly dye, but apparently it had some sort of scent or taste that was driving the grass pokémon nuts. Lala wouldn't stop chewing on herself. At least it got her attention off of the tail they had all but sewn onto her backside.

"Please, Hattie, just one picture," Harry all but begged. Her sewaddle grumbled. Hattie was another displeased with her costume—pretty much a sleeve with fake wool attached to it and a collar with a bell—but she refused to even attend the party.

"Okay, before we head out, we have to have the glowstick talk." Ree couldn't fight with them for pictures any longer. They could only hope to mooch photos off of people with actual cameras at the party. From past experience, she didn't think it'd be particularly hard.

"Glowstick talk?" Harry asked over her shoulder.

Ree dug around in one of her bags and pulled out several packages of purple glowsticks. She started ripping them open with her teeth, making quite the pile between her legs. "Help me make necklaces out of these. Guys, everyone is going to have a glowstick with them at all times, okay? I chose purple because red and orange will be everywhere, so hopefully we'll stick out a bit." She cracked one and held it up for them all to see the color. "I don't care if it doesn't match the costume, no one take this off. There'll be a lot of people there, and chances are we'll get separated at least once."

Harry nodded and started tying them to the strings they came with. They had to use two for Jackster's so it'd fit around his neck, but he seemed pleased with wearing one. Lala was less so. She already had a collar, too, and they eventually just had to tie it around her mareep tail. At least she'd ding, too. That should make her easy to find.

"These should last for most of the night, but I do have extras in my pocket. I also have my phone. Shady, I'm tying yours to the lantern, okay?"

"Lit," the little ghost replied with a sort of dazed agreement.

"Don't be afraid to do your own thing, but let someone know where you're going. Uni, stick close to Harper, okay? Harry, you stick close to Jackster and Lala. You sure Hattie will be staying inside?"

"She might come out later... I don't know. She doesn't like crowds very much and she's been a little, um, cranky..."

"One less to worry about," Ree replied with a shrug. "Everyone have glowsticks?"

"Ser!" Whippy squealed, playing with his between his claws. He was dressed as the cartoon villain he was named after, complete with a little fake mustache. They had nearly had to hot glue it onto him to get it to stick to his scales, but he seemed pleased with the end result. And he was happy to be in a top hat again.

Harry giggled. Ree looked at her, and she explained, "You're acting so... responsible, Ree. It's nice."

"Halloween is serious business," she said solemnly and stood up. The humans would be the only ones with bags, so they could control how many goodies they brought home (Ree simply hoped Whippy didn't overdose while they were there), and once they were sure everyone was properly glowing purple, they set out. Ree was rather pleased with her own costume. It had the added bonus of having pockets in the jacket, which was rare. A couple other groups of trainers were headed out from the center at the same time, so they walked together, showing off their pokémon and costume ideas.

They arrived at the warehouse hosting the party. Muffled music and lights came from within, and Ree entered feeling a little more jealous than before. Someone had a heatmor and had dressed it as Godzilla. Life wasn't fair. Still, Whippy had turned out to be another favorite of the group, until they figured out that Jackster and Lala were cosplaying as well—Jackster was a ponyta, and Lala was a mareep. They both worked it surprisingly well.

Two and a half seconds inside, and Whippy was already crawling all over a nearby table with candy on it.

"He's going to get another cavity," Ree sighed. "Bloodwing, go. Fetch." Harper flapped off her shoulder and plucked up the dastardly servine, depositing him into Ree's arms.

"Jackster, do you want to go see about bobbing for candied apples?" Harry asked brightly. The blitzle was practically being carried with how close he was to her, but nodded all the same. Ree bit her lip to stop herself from smiling. The more nervous he was now, the better for later.

She allowed Whippy to go with them to get something in his stomach that hypothetically wouldn't rot his teeth too badly, and wandered over to the costume registration. She entered them all without qualm. Maybe they could win something nice.

It wasn't long before Harper got into a squabble with a swoobat with a similar mask. Ree was confused until she saw that its trainer was in full Mordecai costume, and they spent a pleasant while geeking out together. A couple others recognized Ree's costume, especially when she brandished her lantern, and Shady seemed pleased with the attention, too. She recognized other ideas, including several trainers dressed as gym leaders (she nearly had a heart attack when she thought she saw Elesa in the crowd), and a couple as TV personalities. There were naturally dozens upon dozens of trainers dressed as various pokémon, 'sexy' versions and more realistic versions, and plenty of couple costumes.

Ree smiled at a pair of girls dressed as a sawk and a throh, but her heart hurt a little. She missed Scott, and she missed her sister. Between the two of them, she was usually half of a pair rather than a loner.

Harper let out a shrill, almost metallic whistle that made Ree jump out of her skin. "I really, _really_ regret trying to teach you that," she said, pressing a hand to her chest to make sure her heart was still beating. She had shown Harper the monster chase music from Amnesia and tried to get her to copy it; it had ultimately failed, but Harper was still fond of making sudden loud whistles that Ree had come to associate with the theme anyway.

"Tranquill-quill?" Harper asked.

"Ty?" Unika squeaked, as if surprised.

"Quill."

"I don't know what you're saying." The music wasn't deafening, but it and the crowd noises were enough to lose most emphasis and inflections they might have used. As if Ree could understand them to begin with.

Harper flapped from her shoulder, Unika bobbing up beside her. "Tranquill?" Harper repeated calmly, and then jutted her masked beak to their left. One of the walls was covered in several murals of balloons, most of them some sort of pokémon (or maybe ghost?), and pokémon seemed to be taking turns popping them. Ree was positive she saw a certain servine's vine whip near one end.

"Okay, you two can go. Just stick together."

That meant Ree was alone with Shady, though the little litwick seemed to be asleep. It was the perfect time to begin her plan. They had been there long enough for Jackster and Harry to have relaxed, but no doubt the constant mass of people and pokémon would be beginning to wear, too. Just as Ree was about to slink off to mimic her servine's villainous namesake, however, her phone went off.

It was a picture message, from Scott. Her heart did another little flop in her chest as she opened it. Wherever he was, it was better lit than the warehouse, in a Red Baron costume that she had seen him in before. And, as before, he had aviator sunglasses instead of goggles perched on his hat. Vince was just barely visible in the picture, butting his head up against Scott's chest, but Scott was looking up at the camera with a slightly crooked smile.

Below, it read, "_do i get a pic in return?_"

She couldn't help but read it in slightly accusatory tones. She had meant to send him one, of course she had, but it was too hard to take one with so many squirming pokémon. "_Later._"

"Vine?" Whippy just about sent her jumping out of her skin again when he tugged on her hand.

"Fuck, Whippy, I thought you were... Oh my god you're covered in—_what_ are you covered in?" She tugged him towards the wall, out of the way of the crowd, and squatted down beside him. It almost looked like glitter, only grainier. She got her answer when he licked off part of his cheek, and then leaned up against her as if offering her some, too. "Is that fun dip you're covered in?"

"Servine!" And that answered her question.

"You're taking a bath as soon as we get in. Ugh. But Whippy, you know that plan of mine?" He nodded, attentive but still licking his claws. "We're gonna be starting it soon. If we wait too much longer, then they'll just get tired, and we want at least Jackster alert for this. Go send Harper and Uni back my way, and then go brief Lala. We'll be headed out soon."

He saluted, and then slithered off into the mass of costumes. Ree allowed herself a chuckle. If he took a bath, he'd likely just turn it all into koolaid or something. Maybe they could dye Lala another color with it... In no time at all, Harper and Unika had returned to her. Her tynamo had chocolate smeared all around her mouth and Harper had several pieces of candy in her claws.

"Sorry to cut that short guys, I'll buy you cheap after-Halloween candy tomorrow. But we're gonna be heading out. You remember what to do, right?" Unika had been working on her aerial control, and could easily go as high as Ree's shoulder if she was trying. Harper was helping with that, but they had unexpectedly bonded over it. Initially Ree hadn't been sure about sending Unika into unknown territory, but ultimately, she felt better if they were together. Hopefully they could handle it.

"Tranquill," Harper said and gave Ree's cheek a quick nuzzle. She then left her precious pieces of candy with her, picked Uni up with one claw, and soared out of an open window.

"Time to scare us up a scaredy-skitty," Ree told a sleeping Shady with no small amount of evil delight.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Jackster _will _evolve, come hell or high water. Ree sets her plan into motion, intending on scaring the blitzle into action, but what happens when the scares and threats are actually real?


	29. Of More Sweets and Scares

"This is exciting," Maya chattered on, bouncing about like a deerling. "We haven't been traveling together like this in _years_!"

"Well, it's not quite like how it was. It's not like I'm a trainer," Ree replied mildly, ducking under a particularly low branch. The girls were trekking towards Castelia City, in a somewhat impromptu trip. Ree wanted to go shopping, and so did Maya, but it turned into a sort of extended camping trip instead.

Mordecai walked on ahead of them, acting as a pack pokémon, and Lilith trotted alongside Ree, excited to chat with her old trainer again. That was part of what Ree missed about her; the leavanny was always so fun to hang out with, and even after so many years, she was still excited to be with her. Maya alternated between walking with her sawsbuck and back with them, talking all the while. It was a pleasant sort of white noise.

"Do you normally travel like this?" Ree asked about sunset, when they were making an early camp. Bo was curled around their tent, supposedly helping but mostly just watching his trainer set it up.

"No, usually it's a bit... different."

"How?"

"For starters, I normally travel with my pokémon out in different intervals. Mordecai doesn't always carry stuff for me, usually only if I have a lot, but it's pretty easy to live off of the land with a team like this. We've gotten used to it. Bo usually acts nocturnal during the warmer months so he sleeps most of the day, and Edgar usually helps more with setting up the camp," Maya said pointedly. Her reuniclus giggled and floated on by without shame.

"Is it faster or slower traveling with so many of them out?"

"Both. It depends. Pokémon kind of act like little kids sometimes, you know?"

"Yeah, I can see that." Lilith flitted over and brought Ree part of a carrot she'd taken out of what was supposed to be their supper. Ree laughed and ate it, and then made sure to help chop up the vegetables so nothing else would get taken.

All went well that night, until the girls woke up to an awful yowling. By the time they unzipped the tent and made it outside, Bo was curled around the corpse of a tall, black pokémon. He still had dark blood dripping from his snout. Maya mutely went over and hugged him, wiping down his scales with her nightshirt. Ree stared at the dead pokémon. Its dulled blue eyes were turned upward towards the stars.

Neither one mentioned what had happened for the rest of the trip. Pokémon training wasn't all giggles and sunshine.

-.-.-

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of More Sweets and Scares

-.-.-

This was already not going according to plan, but like hell Ree was going to stop. Harper and Uni were just... lost. Just a little lost, they would meet up with them later. Ree just had to escort Harry around the building a bit longer, build up the fear and unease, and hope to discreetly run into either of them in a little bit. No big deal.

The building was large. Most of it was a three-story-high warehouse, full of old shipping containers (some of them delightfully and spookily rusted) and boxes, with three floors wrapping around two sides of it. There was plenty of room in there to wander. Some of the doors were broken off their hinges and several windows were cracked or outright broken. The floor was littered with glass, dust, dead leaves, and the occasional splatter of what could have been paint or blood. It gave Ree fun flashbacks to her first playthrough of _Fallout 3_.

Harry, naturally, didn't find it nearly so nostalgic.

"Ree, wh-what are we—you—doing here again?" she whispered as she caught up to Ree. She wrapped her arms around one of Ree's and pressed up against her side. She was trembling; Ree hoped it wasn't because she was cold.

"There were these girls who were talking about a _real_ haunted place. Come on, doesn't that sound cool?"

"_No_!" Harry cried. Jackster whinnied in response and she released her grasp on Ree to wrap herself around him instead. Ree tried very hard to fight a grin. Sure, they may suffer a bit in the short term, but in the long term, it would only be beneficial.

"Well, we'll just do a quick run through, okay? Whippy really wanted to see the place." It was difficult to fake an apologetic tone. Whippy slithered down Ree's back and landed lightly beside Jackster, actually making him jump. Ree shook off the fun dip and swung the Shady-lantern around to give them a little bit of light.

"Let's just... hurry up. Please?" Harry asked pathetically. "I-I hadn't thought this place would be so... frightening. Jackster doesn't need another jump, okay?"

"It'll give him a bit of backbone. Just a quick run to the top, check out a couple rooms, and who knows? Maybe we'll find some bottle caps."

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. This door looks unlocked, let's check it out."

Ree's sense of locked doors was way off; the door was sturdily locked. And so was the next, and the one after that. The next door they came to was partially broken in, however, so she managed to break it down with a well-placed kick. Of course, there wasn't much inside; only an old office desk, a few scattered papers, and a bent metal folding chair met them. Ree checked the desk, making a grand show of it, but Harry stayed resolutely by the door with Jackster.

Hidden from view, Ree allowed herself a sigh. Shady pressed her little paws up against the glass, cooing up at her. "Yeah, I know. I'm sure the girls will be back soon and we can get out of here," she whispered to the litwick. Shady only yawned in response. Her violet flame wasn't giving off as much light as Ree had initially hoped, but she was more than good enough for scrounging around a—surprise—totally empty desk.

A screech rang out from down the hall. Harry screamed and Ree jerked, banging her head up against the bottom of the desk, and then there was a clatter of hooves and crying as Jackster tried to bolt. Rubbing her head, Ree crawled back out with the Shady-lantern hooked onto her arm. "Wh-What was _that_?!" Harry said in a high whine-like whisper. Sort of a whispered scream, really. Ree wasn't sure she could reproduce the sound if she'd tried. Whippy was staring at her in awe for it, too.

It wasn't any of the sounds she had ever heard Harper make, but maybe Uni had made it? She was still getting familiarized with the tynamo's various noises... "Nothing to do but find out what it was before it gets the jump on us," Ree said brightly. Harry gave her a look that could make a krookodile cry. "Oh, come on. We don't want to be leaving and then have something sneak up on us, do we?"

"We can _leave_?"

"...Soon, yeah. I mean, the place is pretty boring, after all," Ree lied, nervous about her missing pokémon. It wasn't supposed to be _boring_! Then again, she was all in favor of ending this as soon as humanly possible; the guilt in her stomach was starting to make her want to puke.

Or maybe that was the candy she had eaten at the party.

Whichever.

"But why are you so skittish? We have light sources, we have each other, we have pokémon! We have big, strong Jackster here to protect us!" May as well put the pressure on. The blitzle laid his ears flat along his skull, snorting in disagreement.

"A-And you have Whippy here, too," Harry said.

The servine and his trainer exchanged a glance. That wouldn't do. "You know, he's starting to look _really_ tired..." Whippy faked a yawn, almost knocking his own hat off in the process, and Shady yawned again too. That made him actually yawn, and then Ree had to fight one. She returned him with a huff. "Okay, yeah, see? Tuckered out. We're fine here, I'm just going to give him a bit of a break..."

"Ree..." Harry started, suspiciously.

The brunette turned from her and peered out the doorway, down the direction the screech had come from. Nothing but a dusty, dark, empty hallway.

"Ree, um, you don't seem too... _worried_ about your pokémon."

"Worried? Me? I just—of course I am! I just returned Whippy because he was feeling tired!"

Harry, wrapped around Jackster, fixed the taller with a flat almost-glare. "I haven't seen Harper or Uni out since we left the party, and when Lala ran off earlier, you didn't seem very worried..."

"I told you, didn't I? Harper got into a scrap with that swoobat, and Uni is still young, she was tired, too. And Lala—well, she normally runs off and stuff. She'll probably just scare us once and then be back." Lala was, admittedly, supposed to do that, but only as a back-up plan to Harper and Uni. And it was strange that she hadn't brought something back yet, too...

A screech at the corner they were approaching, and then there was a jumble of movement all at once. A pair of tiny joltik appeared, squeaking and sparking, and Jackster flashed in panicked response, rearing up on his hind legs. A galvantula appeared behind them not a moment later, and at that point the girls were screaming and backing away from all the arachnids. The pokémon and trainers danced around each other, screeching and shrieking, but soon the galvantula realized that nothing was really happening. It scooped up the two tiny joltik with its forelegs and climbed up one of the far walls, narrowing its many eyes at the girls and Jackster.

And right when Ree was beginning to calm down again, a woobat winged around the corner. The galvantula screeched—exactly like that sound before—and let loose a bolt of electricity at it. Jackster whinnied again and zapped wildly, knocking Harry back into Ree.

The woobat, having dodged the arachnid's attack, was not prepared for Jackster. It fell out of the air, looking singed, but flapped back up with confused squeaking. The galvantula lashed out at it again, and it returned its attention to that. Jackster grabbed Harry's sleeve with his teeth and dragged her back out of the way.

Ree scrambled after them with Shady swinging from her hands. "Back down the other way!" Harry was more or less being dragged by her starter, but it wasn't like he could move her very fast. At least they were putting distance between them.

And Jackster _had_ tried to protect Harry. It was a good sign. It just wasn't good enough. After they ran down the hallway and turned the far corner, chests all heaving, Ree wondered where her pokémon had gone. They _had_ to have heard that. Had Lala tried to pick on any of those pokémon? Either of them could have potentially given her some trouble... Or had Harper? A fully grown galvantula wouldn't have been easy for her...

"Okay, _now_ I'm worried about Lala," Ree admitted as she dusted herself off.

"N-Now?" Harry repeated in a high voice.

"Usually she'd be in the middle of something like that, but she wasn't. Let's do a quick walk around and see if we can't find her, and then we'll get going, okay?" Maybe it was a tiny white lie. But she had to keep Harry and Jackster moving, make them not outright panic. She needed a short, controlled burst of panic to spur evolution, not a mad dash for the nearest exit.

But where _were_ her pokémon? She couldn't very well send Whippy after any of them, not with the show he put on about being tired. Would Lala seek out the others on her own? Unlikely, given how she and Harper got along lately.

They trekked along, occasionally looking in other rooms, but didn't find very much. A wild purrloin and then a glimpse of another woobat outside a window, but they didn't approach any of them. Jackster did snort at the purrloin, however. Ree took it as a good sign. Maybe he'd just get so fed up with being scared that he'd evolve out of spite. Or something. She'd take just about anything at this point. Even _she_ was beginning to get a little creeped out, if only because three-quarters of her team was missing in action.

"Okay, here, this one looks unlocked." Maybe Harper was just hiding somewhere with Unika tucked under her wing because they were scared of the galvantula?

Harry didn't say anything about how the past three times Ree had said that had went.

But this door _was_ unlocked, and Ree pushed it open proudly—to come face-to-face with a beartic.

Ree stared up at it. It stared down at her, slowly turning its head as it took in the four of them. She felt the air temperature around them plummet, even with her jacket and Shady right there. What she could see of the room with her peripheral vision was coated in ice, glittering and colorless, reflecting little splashes of color from their costumes.

Jackster's trembling was enough to make his hoof slip on one of the nearer patches of ice. He stumbled and gave a neigh, and that broke the spell. The beartic roared and reared up on two legs, and Ree was pushing them all back through the door. "Go—run, go!"

"Which way?"

"_Any_ way!"

They had a bit of a lead while the beartic fought through the doorway, but as soon as it was free, it let out a fearsome roar that led to a breath of frost that turned the floor beneath them to ice. Jackster's hooves lost what little traction they had, and since Harry's fist was wound in his scarf, he ended up taking her down too. Ree slid past them, unable to turn around, and collided gracelessly with an open door farther down the hall.

Her lantern broke on the floor; Shady squealed as she was plopped down amongst the broken glass. "It—it's okay, hold on—" Ree held onto the door for support while she scooped up the litwick, nearly burning her fingers in the process. Back towards the beartic, Harry was trying desperately to get Jackster moving again, and he was trying just as desperately to shock the advancing ice pokémon.

"Wick!" Shady cried, reaching out towards her trainer.

"Use a fire attack, then!" Ree replied, trying to skate her way back towards them. It wasn't easy in boots.

To her surprise, however, Shady did indeed use a fire attack. She belched out a blob of flames that nearly blinded Ree and melted all of the ice in their area, but it didn't make it all the way to their enemy. It definitely got its attention, though. The beartic rose up on its hind legs again, only to hit its head on the ceiling.

"Do that again!" Ree commanded, holding Shady out at arm's length as she ran for Harry and Jackster.

This time, the fire attack connected with the beartic. It roared and staggered backwards—and then Ree realized it was angry, not in pain. It shot an ice beam right at them. Ree barely had time to swear before it connected.

Things were black. She was cold, but it was an empty sort of black, not a dark sort of black. Nothing felt right, and Ree's arms felt heavy. It didn't feel right, but it felt... familiar. A woobat flapped into her field of vision, mouth open in astonishment. "Intruder!"

Ree awoke to red hair in her face. The coldness was multiplied, but the darkness let up—wait, had she been out cold? "Ha."

"Ree? Ree, okay, hold on, we'll get you free in a moment!" Harry's head whipped back and she looked up at her. There were tears in her eyes. Wait, they were standing?

Ree found herself propped upright by virtue of the fact that part of her was encased in ice. The arm she had been holding Shady with was stuck to the wall in half a foot of ice, and that had crept up to her shoulder and part of her side. Shady, entirely in the ice, had melted a little bubble with her flame but didn't appear to be moving—or conscious.

The beartic's roar filled the hallway and Ree's attention snapped to it. Jackster was loyally defending them, every bit of him crackling with electricity as he let loose bolt after bolt at the larger pokémon. That was good. But what was great was that he wasn't alone; with a rush of wind, Ree realized that Lala had appeared at last. She danced over a slash by the beartic, and then ran up its arm and to its head, scratching and biting at its ears.

"Lala!" The whimsicott turned and flashed her trainer a grin. The opening was enough that the beartic could reach her, batting her off and stomping after her with a growl. "Hold on, I'm—_shit_ this is cold!"

"Hold on, I'm working on it!" Harry cried. She realized that the redhead was chipping away at the ice with the broken lantern's metal base.

"Release Whippy!"

"He's in this pocket!" She gestured to the ice on her side. Ree scrabbled with it, trying to tear it off, but it was sturdy stuff. She managed to free Sophia II, however.

"Stand back!"

"Ree, what are you—"

She swung at the thinner ice over Shady's little bubble. It cracked, and Ree swung again, and finally it broke. The influx of oxygen caused Shady's flame to pop and crackle and grow, and the litwick woke up with a start. "Get Shady out, get her to melt this! Start with down there by my pocket!"

Harry rescued her fire pokémon and held her where Ree directed, and Ree whacked away at her encased arm again. Her fingers were the easiest part to free, and she wiggled them thankfully, trying to get feeling back into them.

In front of them, Lala was steadily losing her ground. The temperature around the beartic was taking its toll, slowing her, and frost was beginning to accumulate in her fluff, further weighing her down. As Ree freed her hand up to her wrist, she looked up and saw her begin to shake out frost mixed with stun spore onto the beartic.

Something niggled at the back of Ree's mind, telling her that that wasn't a very good idea.

"_What_ the hell is going on out here?!" another voice rang out. The beartic crouched, ears flat, and Lala missed her tackle by the unexpected move, soaring over its back. Ree twisted as much as her arm would allow and Harry ducked around her, holding Shady out like a weapon.

All Ree could see was a silhouette in a bloody apron, holding an even bloodier knife.

_Holy shit, we really did stumble into a horror movie_, Ree thought numbly. And then, she remembered why Lala shouldn't have been using stun spore in an enclosed space. Jackster sparked in fright, and the stun spore exploded.

Ree and Harry were blasted back, but then the ground crumbled, and Ree grabbed wildly for anything. She landed heavily on her side (and Sophia II) with a grunt, and then Harry was grabbing onto her arms, still falling, pulling her forward. The floor had been blasted away into a hole, all the way to the ground floor. The beartic was sprawled out on the bottom, burnt and stirring again already. Ree groaned and tried to pull Harry up, but it was no use. The second floor was far under their feet, but it was going to have to do.

"Harry, I'm going to swing you."

"_What_?!" she shrieked, hands tightening on Ree's. They slid further forward.

"I'm going to swing you before we both fall! If you—go back that way, you can land on there—okay?" Ree looked around for _anything_ else. She couldn't see Lala. Jackster was getting to his feet on the far side of the hole they blew in the building, one floor down. He wouldn't be making that jump to save them. The beartic was likewise getting up, fixing its gaze up at them. She couldn't see Shady anywhere, either. "_Fuck_ me, this is not how this was supposed to go, believe me. But you're going to have to help me with this, okay?!"

"Ree, please don't—"

A foot connected with Ree's side and turned her over, twisting her shoulders and making her cry out. Harry slipped from both hands to hanging from just one, and Ree was about to slide over the edge with her. "Who are you two, cops? UFO?" the figure—male, but young, and mad as hell—demanded. Ree blinked blearily up at him, wishing he'd just fuck off or at least worry about the building they had just partially blown up.

"Trainers, we're just trainers—"

"Ree, I'm slipping! Please—"

He put his boot on Ree's chest and pressed down. If Harry hadn't been holding on, she would have been dropped at that point. Ree scratched at him, even trying to punch him in the crotch, but she couldn't reach far enough and Harry was still slipping. Her shoulder was bound to come out of its socket at this rate if he didn't let her go or if Harry didn't.

A wave of cold blasted up from the bottom floor, and then a flare of fire. Sounded like they found Shady, but she wouldn't last very long against a beartic. _Where the hell is Lala?!_ "Harry, you're going to have to swing!"

"I can't make it!"

An ice beam impacted with the ceiling, and icicles rained down on them. The guy standing on her looked up, and with his attention diverted, she threw Whippy's pokeball at him. It actually hit his face, too, she was pleased to see, and then released an angry and confused servine on top of him to boot. The guy jumped off of her, which Ree hadn't expected, and she skidded forward—nope, she was falling. Ree was definitely falling down three flights onto an angry beartic. Surprisingly, she wasn't even upset. The look on that dude's face when she'd hit him was just about worth it.

As her foot hooked around part of the broken floor they just vacated, Ree tried to push Harry as far as she could towards the second floor. It wasn't very far. She dimly heard the clattering of hooves, and next thing she knew, a zebstrika leapt across the gap.

He probably would've caught them both, too, had another ice beam not hit him in midair.

Harry and Jackster skidded onto the second floor. Or actually, she did, and he hit the broken edge and struggled to get up. Ree, in turn, hit him and simply bounced off, into the waiting claws of the beartic, which she swore was actually reaching up to grab her.

And it did. She had braced for impact, curling up as best she could, but the paws that caught her were surprisingly gentle. _Astoundingly_ gentle. The beartic swung her down, negating her momentum, and then swung her back up like it was rocking a baby. It stared down at her, breath frosting in her face, and Ree wasn't sure quite what to do.

Sophia II fell down with a _clunk_ on top of its head. The beartic snorted and Ree flinched back instinctively, but it scratched at its ear and then turned around. She caught a glimpse of an unconscious Shady near one of the walls, and then found an unconscious Lala in front of them. The beartic picked her up by the fluff collar with one delicate claw and then dropped her in Ree's lap. She clutched her whimsicott to her chest like a lifeline.

_Fallout_ to horror movie to _Twilight Zone_. This night wasn't going as planned. The beartic swung around again and plopped down onto three of its legs, pressing Ree up against the thick fur of its neck. She caught a glimpse of Harry and a larger Jackster on the floor above them, looking worried. She couldn't get the right angle to see the third floor.

She pointed over the beartic's shoulder to where Shady lay, or tried to, and the beartic lumbered off with its Ree prize.

-.-.-

Ree awoke when her world suddenly shifted. She reoriented herself groggily, and she realized that the beartic had stopped walking and sat down. More alarmingly, the sky was streaked with pink and orange in the east. _Daybreak?!_ She stiffened and checked to see if Lala was up yet. No such luck. Okay, they had left the party at... what time? How long had they been in that building? What time was it now?

She only had an unconscious whimsicott with her. Harper and Unika were still _somewhere_, and Whippy had been left in the building. At least he would be with Harry. Harry had Jackster, and Shady, and Whippy, and Sophia II. She would be alright. Ree, on the other hand...

"Baaaaaar," the beartic yawned and Ree jumped. It reclined against a tree—forest, okay, that... answered absolutely no questions about her location—and allowed her to slide out of its grasp.

Her legs were cramped and still half-asleep from being curled up like that for so long. She wouldn't be able to make a run for it for a couple minutes at least. Ree scuttled away from it, sitting near her own tree, and tried to wake Lala up. "Psst. Hey. Come on. Lala, _Lala_, wake up. C'mon, wake up..."

"Beartic," the ice pokémon said pointedly, making it clear it had heard her.

Ree stopped trying to whisper to her. Poking and pinching would have to do. She jabbed her finger repeatedly into Lala's side while she massaged her calf with her other hand. Her entire body felt sluggish, and strangely cool to the touch. It probably wasn't healthy to be pressed up against a beartic for however long that had been. If—_when—_she made it back to civilization, she'd have to talk to Lenore about what—

Ree froze with the realization. Then, very slowly, she reached up into her jacket pocket. Empty pokeball, empty pokeball, dead glowstick, empty pokeball... _phone_.

Her pokédex had the GPS in it, and that was back at the hotel room, but having a phone was good. Did they have location trackers? No, she'd had to explain where she was when she had called for help in the past... Okay, it wasn't like the beartic had been moving fast. They couldn't be farther than... _How_ long had she been out? Ree began looking around, but it was nothing but forest as far as she could see. She couldn't hear any running water, or cars, or other pokémon. Then again, she hardly blamed the wild pokémon for keeping their space.

Okay, a hundred miles from the empty warehouse, which was what, three from the other warehouse that the party had been in? Five at the most. And that was on the outskirts of Driftveil. No, a beartic was slower than that. A human could jog at five or six miles per hour, but it wasn't that fast. Was it? Twenty miles, maximum, from where they had been. That was so much more reassuring than a hundred.

It'd hear her if she tried to call, but it was easier to scream out "help!" than text out a message. She could just try key-mashing a bunch of stuff while the phone was in her pocket, but that'd probably just result in a confused response and the ringtone would definitely tip off the beartic. A distraction, but what?

Her phone rang.

The beartic jerked in alarm, but Ree practically leapt into the tree with how badly she jumped. And then she realized that oh, wow, she shouldn't move suddenly; she _hurt_. More than she had thought. Before it could do anything, she whipped out her phone and flipped it open. She scooped up Lala and staggered to her feet, intending on making a run for it.

She fell headfirst into a bush.

"Ree? Ree! This is Allen, Lenore just called me, saying Harry called _her_. She says you got separated, and that there was an attack, and—"

"I don't know where I am!" Ree cried in a panic as she tried to swim out of the bush. Thorny little bitch, too. "There's a beartic here and it carried me off and—" She cut off with a scream as it picked her up out of the angry foliage. "Put me down!"

To her surprise, it put her down.

Ree threw herself flat against the nearest tree, holding Lala like a fluffy shield in between them. "Ree, I'm coming to get you, okay?"

"But I don't know where I am."

Allen's sigh was far more exasperated than she thought she deserved, considering the situation. "Stay on the line. Where is the beartic?"

"Right in front of me. Like, five feet. By a tree."

"Do you have your pokémon with you?"

"Only Lala, and she hasn't woken up."

"Don't make any sudden moves, and when I get there, hide, okay?"

"Okay, but—"

A flash of light later, and her knight in shining armor appeared, armed with an elgyem and _another_ beartic. Ree personally didn't see how adding another to the mix would help the situation, but she dove for the nearest cover when they appeared and figured he knew what he was doing. One of them roared—she wasn't sure which—and the other answered, and soon there was a deafening roaring match.

Allen knelt down beside her, his elgyem throwing up a golden shield between them and the ice pokémon. "Can you stand?"

"Sort of, but don't expect me to move very quickly."

"Are you hurt? Where?" he asked, brow furrowing in concern. She noticed he still had bedhead, but at least he was in uniform. He grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet.

"I'm stiff all over and _ouch_!" He instantly released her, palms up in apology. Ree swayed, but stayed upright. She carefully prodded her side. It was the one she had landed on, but pulling up her shirt, she already saw some nasty bruises forming. There was a long, straight one diagonally cutting across her waist as well.

"What are those from?"

"This one is a Sophia mark."

"Sophia?" Allen asked sharply. Too late, Ree recalled that he had taken her last bat away from her.

"Nevermind that, we sort of exploded. You know how stun spore is flammable?"

He pulled her shirt back down and carefully pulled her arm over his shoulders. It still twinged, but she didn't say anything in gratitude. "Return Lala, and get ready to teleport. You were staying in the pokémon center in Driftveil still, right?"

"Yes, but—what about Harry?"

"I don't have a lock on her, Ree. I don't even have her phone number. All I know is that she called half a dozen people before getting Lenore, and Lenore told me all this. I have no idea what's going on—" he winced at another loud roar, "—but answers can wait. Where are the rest of your pokémon?"

"Back at the warehouse, I think."

"You _think_?"

"I got separated from Harper and Uni early on," Ree confessed, "and I threw Whippy at this guy with a knife before I fell. He's probably with Harry. Right? Did she say anything about him?"

"I didn't hear anything, but I'm sure he's fine," Allen said soothingly. He hiked her up a bit higher, and then nudged his elgyem with his hip. "Ready?"

It screeched in response.

"Maria! Disengage and back up to us!"

"Tic, baaaaaaar-beartic!"

"Wait, _what_?" Allen squawked, faltering for a moment.

"Um, can we just leave the beartic and go now?" Ree really didn't want to know what else was about to get tossed into this situation.

"Ree, _where_ exactly were you last night?"

"Why are you mad at _me_?" she cried, confused (and a little hurt). He was supposed to be rescuing her, damn it, not interrogating her. ...Okay, she knew he would _eventually_, but preferably a soft bed and lots of cheap after-Halloween candy and all of her pokémon would be involved.

"Because she's saying that that beartic was a poacher's pokémon against her will. Where did you find her?"

"It was this old abandoned place just a little bit from Driftveil. I had heard something about it being empty and spooky, so I just went there with Harry to—for kicks."

Allen groaned. Maria sat back on her haunches and idly cleaned her claws. The other beartic sat down, too, and yawned. Apparently the roaring match had been a conversation. "It is too goddamned early for this."

"I agree," Ree said and leaned her head against his. "How about we all just go back and sleep and _then_ sort it out?"

"Don't tempt me," he replied dryly. "Alright, here's what we're going to do. Tranjero, southern police station of Driftveil."

"Police? Why—" The elgyem scooted both beartic over until it could touch them, and then they were all sitting in a cell. Or rather, Ree was in one, one beartic was in another, and Allen and his pokémon were beaming on the other side of the metal bars.

"You two sit in here. I'm going to find Harry and your pokémon. She says she means you no harm, and that she had only wanted to take you away from the poacher."

"She attacked my pokémon!"

"She was attacked first. You startled her, attacked her, she defended, but she caught you, didn't she?" Allen asked, brow raised. Ree flushed and looked away. "I'll leave one of my pokémon with you, but I don't think Maria would be the best idea right now. Here, give me Lala's pokeball, and I'll give her to the officer at the desk on my way out."

Without asking, he pushed his hands through the gaps and exchanged them, placing a great ball in Ree's hand. She gaped at him.

"She'll get healed and checked out! And then returned to you. I _promise_ I'll be back soon, okay? Just don't incite a prison riot or anything." Allen waved with false cheer and then vanished.

Ree wordlessly dropped the great ball, and a little audino popped out. "Au! Au!" it squealed cheerfully. Ree stared at it. The beartic yawned again, slumped against the concrete wall, and let out a loud snore.

The audino put up a light screen between their cells, patting Ree's leg as if doing it for her sake, and then sat down and stared at her with big, blue eyes. Ree sank down to the floor. She was exhausted. Tired, sore, stiff, and now confused as hell. She was now down all four pokémon, in jail with a beartic that may or may not be lying through its large teeth, and had a pink thing as her only neutral company.

As far as after-Halloween jail trips were concerned, this ranked very low on the list.

But at least Jackster had evolved.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Ree figures out what the _hell_ went on last night (and not for the reasons she's normally accustomed to) and Whippy tries to figure out where the hell his trainer went. Allen's out to reunite friends and teams, but with so many variables, and considering how well Ree's initial plan worked out, it's unlikely to be that simple. And through it all, Harry's team adjusts to its first evolution.


	30. Of Mostly Scares

"Would you please hurry up?" Harper asked after she landed rather abruptly on a branch. Wings still spread, she craned her head back as best she could. Awkward posing, but she had to make sure he was still following her.

"I'm not as—hah—nimble as you." Her brother laboriously flapped up to her, more collapsing than landing beside her. Harper rolled her eyes but pulled him up with her beak nonetheless.

"Nimble? Is that what I am?" Normally that would be amusing. But Falk's stomach growled loudly, and that ruined the atmosphere. "Oh, just come, _bokkie_. Let's not waste any more time."

"If I lag behind again, go on without me," he declared and flopped back down onto the branch, wings spread uselessly. So dramatic.

"At this rate, I just may if we are to catch anything to eat today," Harper snapped. She cuffed him with one wing, perhaps a little more forcefully than strictly necessary, and took to the air again.

She darted around a pair of low-hanging branches, eyes peeled for any sort of food, half her mind back with her brother. He'd catch up, just slowly. And if there were any sewaddle or perhaps swadloon around, he would only scare them off, anyway. Harper leapt off of a branch that came too low beneath her, rolled to avoid another tree, and then circled back around for him. He was right; Falk wasn't nearly the same level of acrobat that she was. But he was still young, still learning.

"Aren't there—hff—trainers near here?" he gasped out, falling back yet again.

"Maybe it is a good thing we're not finding food. You've clearly saved too much of it on your ribs already."

"Maybe more of it would stick to you if you weren't too busy—twirling and tossing and showing off," Falk spat back.

"Yes, well—" She spotted the colors shifting beneath him and dove for him on reflex. The zorua melted out of the tree bark just as her claws grabbed onto his shoulders. Harper flipped them both up into the air, just out of its open mouth, but neither pidove could dodge its claws that followed.

Falk caught himself in the air; Harper and the dark pokémon tumbled to the ground below. They regarded each other warily, neither moving, but the zorua broke the tension with a giggle. It jumped into the air, and with a flash, took on the form of a pidove to match.

Harper flapped into the air towards her brother and squawked, "Go!" It betrayed her panic, but either for mischief or hunger, a zorua was no friend of theirs. Falk made for the top of the forest, Harper on his tail, with the fake pidove on hers.

And then the liepard dropped out of the tree and on top of them.

It was hard to tell who was more surprised when the last pidove turned back into a zorua. Harper ducked under claws and fur and fought her way to the feathers, shoving her brother out of the tangle of limbs while the liepard yowled and tried to get the zorua away. It seemed just as alarmed, although more annoyed as well. As they tussled, Harper dragged Falk into a bush.

"We should have stayed home," she hissed.

Falk nodded miserably. "Yes, but sis... My wing hurts."

Harper turned with horror to see the awkward angle his wing lay at. Feathers stuck out, and the last quarter of it lay bent in a way it shouldn't. Falk gave her a faux cheerful chirp and tried to move it. It was a minor break, but it was still a broken wing. The liepard and zorua growling and yowling just behind them seemed too loud.

"What are you—oh shit—what did you do now?!" The two birds pressed low as a large human boomed overhead. The zorua yelped and, with a flash, flickered into a mirror image of the human. The liepard growled at it, unimpressed. "You found a zorua? Wow."

The liepard slunk over to the real human's side, curling around its waist. Harper peered through the leaves. This development was good and bad. It distracted the predators well enough, unless a bigger battle was about to take place. Or, unless the human decided it was hungry, too.

But what was she to do about Falk's wing? Humans could have compassionate streaks, and human responsibility was easy enough to understand. Harper's throat constricted as she turned on him.

She let out a loud, pitiably hurt squawk and rolled her brother out into the open. She crouched low in the bush behind him, ready to leap out at a moment's notice, watching like a braviary as the human turned to look at him in surprise. "Did you do this? I told you, we're eating dinner in town tonight!"

Harper tensed to defend the smaller pidove. The fake human cocked its head to one side—too far—and leaned in closer. The real human batted it away.

"We _do _need a bird, I suppose. May as well improve my karma while we're at it. As for the zorua, think Sissy would like it?"

Harper watched as the human stooped to pick Falk up. He remained mute, turned from her, which she deserved. Panicked as she was, could she have found a better route out of this? She remained there until nightfall, alone.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty**: Mister Snivy Whiplash's Wonderful Journey Of Mostly Scares

-.-.-

"Wh-Where did it take her? And Jackster—you evolved! Oh my goodness, Jackster, you _evolved_...!"

The male human left soon after Ree fell. Whippy felt proud of chasing him off single-handedly, but that was overwhelmed by alarm for his missing trainer. The area's temperature was almost back to normal—he was very perceptive when it came to such things—and he couldn't hear any fighting down below anymore. Only Jackster and Harry.

He slithered over the edge, hanging by his tail for a moment while he surveyed the area. The red-haired human was all over the larger Jackster—Whippy wiggled in surprise. "You evolved!"

Jackster looked up at the sound of his voice. "_There_ you are. You took forever up there—and I wasn't sure what we could do—and Shady is down there, and I think Lala is too—"

Whippy let out his vines to lower himself to their floor. It was a little wobbly, but he more or less dropped down beside them without hurting himself. "You're bigger. Stronger? Congratulations!"

Jackster sighed, ears flicking back. Harry spotted Whippy and latched onto him before the zebstrika could speak. "You're alright! Oh gosh, Whippy, I-I think Ree was taken by that thing, and I don't know what to do, and—"

"Taken?" Whippy repeated, clawing his way out of her grasp.

"That's what I was trying to tell you! The beartic caught her and then left," Jackster snapped, pawing at the ground in his annoyance. Already Whippy could see he was used to being more forceful. That was interesting.

"Which way did—" Whippy cut himself off with a screech as a jet of fire nearly singed his tail leaf off. Jackster nudged Harry back, Whippy leapt for them both, and a head peeked over the edge of the ceiling above them. Embers dripped from its pointed mouth like liquid as it blinked down at them. And then it shot another jet of bright yellow flames.

Jackster bucked Whippy off of him and made sure Harry was well out of its range. The servine caught himself with vines around a broken lamp above them, hanging and glaring at it. The fire pokémon vanished, but not for long; a tail, and then two legs with claws dangled overhead. As it clambered down—and then dropped down with a nasty thump—Jackster turned on the other two. "I can direct its attention here. You circle around and get Shady and Lala, and then we'll follow your trainer. Alright?"

The golden fire pokémon spat out a blob of lava at Whippy and he batted it away with a vine. His remaining one couldn't hold his weight and he plopped to the ground beside Harry, blowing on his scorched vine tip.

"_Alright_?" Jackster pressed, lowering his head to look Whippy in the eye.

He wasn't sure he liked this new Jackster. "Fine. But keep it off of me."

The zebstrika let loose a bolt of electricity at the fire pokémon, successfully keeping his word as it turned on him. Whippy waited until it was actually advancing before dodging into an open doorway. The room had a broken wall that he could slither through, and he felt rather stealthy as he came back out into the hallway behind the fiery thing. It was easy to keep an eye on it, too, since it was more or less constantly glowing from all of its attacks. Jackster, too, stuck out in the darkness.

Whippy peeked over the hole into the floor below. There was a tiny speck of blue light. With one vine injured, the servine steeled himself for a moment, and then leapt. He rolled onto a broken, angled slab of concrete, jumped onto another, and made it to the actual floor no worse for wear. And he wondered why his trainer refused to trust in his expertise.

Shady's flame was tiny but stable. The litwick herself seemed to be out cold, so Whippy carefully picked her up. She was warm against his scales, pleasantly so. Using her as a light—it was only fair since Ree had been doing it—he scoured the rubble for any sign of his fluffier teammate. "Lala?"

No response.

"Lala, are you down here?" He could see little bits of white fluff stuck on sharper pieces of rock and metal, but no larger pieces connected to the other grass pokémon. The cracks of electricity and roar of fire attacks from above were making him jump, which further frayed his patience. "_Lala_!"

Shady wiggled in his arms, accidentally brushing her flame against his chin. He nearly dropped her with a hiss. "Mm?"

"Do you know where Lala is?" Whippy asked as he held her up at eye level. Shady responded by yawning in his face. "Hey! Did you see the whimsicott down here with you?"

"No...?" Shady guessed.

He didn't see her, he wouldn't be able to hear her, and Shady hadn't seen her either. Whippy's priorities re-centered on finding his trainer again. Of course, he had no way back up to the second floor where Jackster and Harry were, being one vine short.

He struggled lifting Shady all that way; she was a dense little pokémon, and it was really hard getting a proper grasp on her with how squishy she was around the edges. But he set her on the very edge of the concrete and she waddled out of his sight. "Hey! Wait, you have to help me up!"

After a beat, the enemy fire pokémon was tossed off the edge and landed right behind him. He jumped and hissed at it. While it was clearly dazed and battered, it was still awake, and now he was trapped down there with it. He growled up as Jackster leaned over the edge with an irritated expression. "I had to get it away from Harry."

"Now it's near _me_! Help me up there!"

"How? I don't have vines," he snorted.

He was about to retort when something formless picked him up and threw him across the broken room. Whippy groaned, blearily blinking at something white and fuzzy and flying that appeared over them. Lala didn't fly like that.

"Where's the female beartic?" it squeaked in a painfully high voice.

"Not here," the fire pokémon responded.

Whippy was keen on finding out where all of these other players had gone; Jackster, apparently, was not. With yet another loud _crack_, he zapped the flying pokémon, earning a "_Yowch_!" from it. It flapped in a crazy circle as it tried to reorient itself.

He felt himself being lifted again, noticing this time the psychic glow, and then was promptly hurled into the zebstrika's face.

They both toppled over, almost onto Shady, and Whippy had about had it with these other pokémon. Why not send him something he could fight fairly? It was about then that Lala provided distraction or he was switched for Harper... "Well. At least you're up here now," Jackster pointed out as he stood back up. Whippy couldn't help but glare at him.

"Jackster," Harry broke in, drawing his complete attention at once, "I-I think we should leave those other pokémon. We have to catch back up with Ree, and...! And find her!"

"Alright."

Some things didn't change with evolution, Whippy supposed. Before he could say anything, however, Harry scooped up both him and Shady into her arms. The litwick cooed happily. "Can you lift all of us?"

Jackster eyed them all. "...Yes."

Riding on a zebstrika would be a new experience, but Whippy doubted the other pokémon would let them go that easily. Harry very carefully climbed onto Jackster, smoothing out her dress and making sure she kept a firm grip on the other two. "I-Is this okay?"

Jackster nodded.

"Whippy, did you see Lala down there?" Harry asked and he shook his head. The rest of his team and his trainer were missing, he realized. Granted, Harper and Unika had been missing for most of the night it seemed, but he would have given a lot to have either of them back. The redheaded human returned Shady and Jackster set off at an awkward trot down the hallway. His hooves clattered too loudly, echoing off of broken walls.

Whippy craned around Harry's neck to see if they were being followed. To his great amazement, they weren't.

"Where did those other pokémon go?"

"Anywhere away from us and out of our way is fine by me," Jackster grunted back.

Whippy was a little more curious. He still had a team to worry for, after all.

A beartic burst through a doorway on their left with a blast of cold air. Jackster bucked, Harry screamed, and Whippy just tried to stay on top. The ice pokémon began freezing the floor beneath them, causing Jackster's hooves to slip, and Harry quickly jumped off and scooted back. Whippy shivered as the air temperature continued dropping. If that was the beartic, then where was his trainer?

"I think we got off on the wrong foot here." That was a human voice, male, and dripping with fake friendliness. Whippy recognized the yellow-haired boy from earlier and narrowed his eyes.

"W-We didn't m-mean to trespass," Harry stammered out.

"Stay back," Jackster said lowly. He stood broadside between her and the other two. Whippy slowly shrunk back, aiming for the shadows.

"All I want right now is my other beartic back," the male one continued and Whippy noticed that the beartic he had at his side pressed its ears flat back. But _other_ beartic... he didn't like the thought of another one roaming around. "Point me in her direction and I'll be out of your hair all that much faster."

"I don't know," Harry said and her voice didn't waver. Whippy figured his trainer picked good friends, but he felt a little proud of her.

"Alright," the male human said, gloved hands raised in peace. "Then hand over your phone and your pokémon."

"Wh-What?" A psychic glow enveloped Harry and Jackster whinnied in alarm. It forced her against the nearest wall, pulling her two pokeballs out of her pockets, and the fluffy pokémon from before flapped into view from behind them. Whippy recognized it now as a woobat just as Jackster lashed out with electricity. It hit the woobat squarely and it fell, dropping Harry and her pokeballs, releasing Shady and Hattie.

"Stop that zebstrika!" the boy snarled and the beartic fired an ice beam. It caught Jackster's hind legs, freezing them to the ground, and Whippy leapt forward to slice him free with a razor leaf. The second ice beam caught Whippy and he swayed, vision darkening, but a too-close zap brought him back.

Harry scrambled to keep her smaller pokémon out of harm's way and the boy skated across the icy hallway to pick up his woobat. They were now between them, and Whippy was fine fighting past the light-haired human—at least, he had been before he released a giant blue and red dragon pokémon.

Whippy threw a leaf tornado at them, which bowled the boy over, but only served to annoy the dragon. It roared, eliciting a squeal from Harry, and Jackster zapped it. He stomped his hooves on the ice, sparking, until they ignited. Whippy reflexively shied away from the move, having been the victim of it far too frequently, but the beartic also flinched back from the flames.

"You keep them back and I'll try to beat the beartic," Jackster ground out. He sounded tired, but Whippy had to trust him.

"Okay." So he was burnt, too cold, and without the rest of his team. Against a large dragon. Ree would owe him so much chocolate.

He started by trying to throw leech seeds at it, hoping to get lucky, but it brushed them off. An ice beam shot overhead and caught its wing, which was more of a help than anything, and as it was roaring and snarling, Whippy latched onto it with his one good vine. He pulled himself up onto its shoulder, wiggling around to avoid its smaller arms, and began pushing leech seeds directly into its hide.

Just when he was feeling good about his odds, he glanced up and saw Jackster thrown to the side, unconscious. Harry was holding Shady in front of her, out towards the beartic, but the little ghost was barely melting the ice pokémon's fur. The boy came up behind her, grabbed her, and made her drop Shady.

"Servine, get off my dragon or I'll hurt your trainer."

Whippy mutely slithered off of the pokémon, and then had to throw himself to the side to avoid getting stepped on. Now would be a very good time for Lala to reappear and make him explode or something, but she didn't.

"Good pokémon," the human said. He pulled Harry back with him so he put his back to a wall. Whippy could feel the little seeds in the dragon doing their work, but that wasn't going to help right then. "Now miss, pull out your pokeballs and return all of your pokémon."

"Pl-Please, don't do—" Harry cut off with a choking noise.

"I won't repeat myself. The Lord teaches patience, but you've already tried mine plenty tonight."

With shaking hands, Harry slowly returned Shady, and then Jackster. There was a long pause as she and Whippy simply stared at each other.

"_Return_ it!" the boy snarled.

"He's n-not mine!" she cried in alarm as his grip tightened again. "I-I swear, he's not mine!"

The beartic shot an ice beam at Whippy; he screeched and leapt out of the way. It coated the hallway and one of the dragon's feet with ice. It tried to catch him again, but Whippy jumped behind the two humans for cover.

And then, to his immense surprise, it attacked again anyway. The boy threw himself and Harry to the ground with a curse. Whippy was too stunned to dodge, and everything felt very cold before it all went very dark.

-.-.-

Unika swam through the air. Back and forth, back and forth, in front of Harper. She'd wake up soon, the tynamo told herself, and then they would go find the others. She would protect her until then because she was a hero, chosen to be a great hero and save the world.

Back and forth. The galvantula who had done it had long since wandered off, after Uni made it clear it wouldn't be getting a quick snack, or maybe it was because there were other pokémon around. Unika had chased off a very curious woobat twice already. "I wish you'd just wake up," she confessed aloud.

Surely their trainer was already there? She didn't have a very good sense of time, but surely their trainer was there! Things were going to go great and then they'd find a nice pokémon to help Jackster get bigger. Maybe that galvantula would help. It was sure easy enough to get to attack. Uni fretted back and forth in the air and snuck peeks down at the unconscious tranquill. She was too heavy to move; she had already tried.

Maybe she'd try again.

Unika struggled to get underneath Harper. It was always so hard getting close to the ground. Tynamo didn't belong on the ground, not like other pokémon. They were more like birds, made for the skies and above the lower races. But Harper was a bird, and more importantly, she was a teammate. Uni would lower herself to the ground for a teammate. Heroes did that.

"You can get up, get up! I command you to get up!" Uni growled and Harper slid off of her. While large, she wasn't particularly heavy, but she was difficult to move. If Uni had to touch the ground once more, she was going to throw up. If she were a real hero, Harper wouldn't have fainted at all, especially not from a bug.

Electricity was okay, though. The galvantula had that and it was almost okay, but it had hurt Harper, and it touched the ground, and Unika hovered back and forth again nervously. She sparked just to let some energy off. It usually made her feel better, but now, it just made her feel more wound-up.

"If you're trainer-pokémon, where's your trainer?" a joltik squeaked from above them.

"This is my teammate and we're going to go do our trainer's plan. It's a great plan," Unika snapped back without looking up at its web. A pair of them were still nearby. Judging her, watching her, they were just like the other tynamo back in the cave. So critical! "Stop looking at me!"

"You're confused," the other joltik murmured. "Electric pokémon don't help birds."

"I am _not_ confused!" Unika screeched and flashed. The two bugs shrank back from her light and she wished they would disappear. "I am not confused, I am not, I am not," she added and tried to lift Harper again, biting into her wing and floating upward. She could almost get her off of the ground.

She had been so excited to have been told to help Harper. They were the two teammates who could fly, after all, it made sense that they were paired up but Lala tried to fly sometimes and it was _really cool_ to watch but she didn't count. She was cruel and strong but mostly cruel. The servine only had eyes for their trainer. Harper actually listened to Unika, so Harper was the best, because she touched the air instead of the ground.

"Why don't you like the electricity!" Unika demanded of the unconscious bird. She grabbed another mouthful of feathers and dragged her away from that corner. They could find another corner, one without a web, but so many of those joltik were around. No more galvantula, no more joltik. No more bugs.

"Why were two trainer-pokémon alone without their human?" a trubbish asked with strange words. A strange voice, with too-long vowels, just like the klink from the cave. Unika narrowed her eyes at it.

"We had a plan. A grand plan to benefit all of us!" she exclaimed with pride.

"Where is your trainer now? Is it going to run amok and cause more trouble and mess?" it gurgled slyly.

Unika zapped it. It still wasn't doing anything to relieve herself, but it felt satisfying in a meaner way to see it shrink back from her. Tynamo weren't meant to travel alone, to attack alone, to _be_ alone, but look at her now. She was going to be a hero all by herself, without them, on her own power.

The trubbish breathed out a purple cloud, blowing it towards Harper. Unika shrieked indignantly and shook it away with her tail. "Go away! Leave us, leave us, leaveusleaveusleaveus!" she spat with another warning flash.

"I hope your trainer-bird dies," it said as a parting shot.

Unika turned with horror to look at Harper. She couldn't die. She wouldn't die, no way, it was just a little electricity, she had already recovered from her other injury! Recovery was something of heroic strength and their trainer was good about helping her with that. "Wake up!" Uni shrieked and headbutted Harper.

To her immense relief, the bird stirred. She squealed in delight and pushed up under her beak, pushing her into a sitting position, and Harper whistled something wordlessly.

"Getupgetupgetupgetup!" Harper took far too long in actually rousing herself. Unika wiggled through the air, back and forth, in front of her with excitement bubbling up through her stomach and about ready to boil out of her. More wild pokémon were crowding around them, invading their space, as Harper tested her wings and tried to take to the air. Uni tried to help, offered her help, but Harper shook her off.

"Are you alright?" Harper asked lowly, eying the pokémon around them with professional wariness.

Unika preened with the question. She liked the question, it was a rarity for her. "Yes. Yes! I'm fine, and now you're up, and we can find the others! Let's go bring wild pokémon to them!"

Harper paused in stretching one of her wings. "...Let's go see if we can find the others first. I would prefer to see their situation as it has changed on our end."

She had no problems with taking direction or even orders. Once Harper was airborne, she wiggled on after her, keeping a sharp eye out. Harper was doing the same, only better, but Unika was still good at it and made doubly sure to look for any galvantula.

They did run into one and Unika squeaked and tried biting it but Harper truly chased it off with an air cutter. Most other pokémon gave them dirty looks as they passed, and refused to answer any questions about humans or other trained pokémon in the area. A joltik tried to drop down on top of Harper, but Unika intercepted it, and they tumbled through the air with much static.

Harper stayed out of range with panicked squawks, trying to get at an angle to separate them, but Unika threw it off because she was talented and skilled and didn't touch the ground. "Are you alright?" That question again. Uni bobbed happily and they were on their way once more.

Harper, ahead, suddenly backpedaled. She nearly ran into Unika, who rolled in the air to get out of her way, and the tranquill pulled her back around the corner by the tail. "What is it? Is there something—"

"Shh!" Harper pressed her against a light fixture and then peeked around the corner herself. Unika stayed silent and strained to listen. She might've been able to hear something. Harper flapped carefully back and tugged her back down the hallway. "There is a large pokémon called a beartic right there. They are ice pokémon, and they are strong."

"How do we beat it? Can we beat it?" Unika asked in an excited hush.

"Calm yourself, _bokkie_. We are not going to fight this pokémon. Can you be quiet for me while we sneak?"

"Of course!"

Harper peeked around the corner once more, and after a long pause, swooped across the hallway on one smooth glide. She banked into a doorway with a missing door and nodded for Unika to follow her. The tynamo was far slower, but at least she didn't have to worry about wings. She got around the corner and found a large white pokémon lumbering down the hallway, away from them, on all fours. It was one of the largest pokémon she had ever seen, all covered with frost and fur.

She must've looked a little too long, for Harper darted back out and nudged her into the safety of the room. "What was it doing here? Are ice pokémon common in this area?"

"No, they are not. It must be another trainer's pokémon, and it would be wisest to avoid it until we find our own trainer."

"It looked like it was carrying something. Or do they have three legs?" Limbs were weird. But one day, she'd have some of her own, and then she'd be weird, she supposed. But she could store so much electricity then, and that was fine with her. "Can fur hold electricity? What would tynamo look like with fur?"

"It can," Harper replied grimly. It sounded as if she knew from firsthand experience. "And since you do not have fur, do not fret over these questions. You will grow stronger with time and experience."

"Did you dream when you were knocked out? Sometimes I dream. They're not like sleep-dreams, but different," she asked as they began moving again, once the beartic was gone from the hallway.

"No, I did not. You do?" They turned another corner as soon as they could and headed further into the building.

"Sometimes," Unika repeated firmly. Harper didn't reply.

Wild pokémon got more scarce until they found a large hole, seemingly blown in from the floor above them. Harper flapped up and down it, looking around, and Unika floated circles around the bottom. There were little bits of fluff and wax splattered about.

"There was a battle here. Is this the whimsicott's fur?" Uni called up. The tranquill fluttered back down grimly.

"It looks to be. I think things have not gone in agreement with our trainer's planning. ...Again," Harper said. "Be cautious, and follow me. Guard the back."

The tranquill carefully picked up Uni in her claws and flew them both up to the next level. Soot and scorch marks covered a large part of the corridor. The smell of electricity hung in the air, heavy and familiar. Uni basked in the feeling and liked to imagine she soaked it up like the rocks in her home cave.

Not home anymore, she recalled sourly.

It was after much time and exploring that they heard a scream. Harper jerked in midair from her surprise, faltering, but Uni swam around her and peered around. Nothing was visible in the gloom and the smells and feelings of battle had been left behind. "Was that our team?" she whispered, excited once more. Finally! They could join in the battle, serve as heroes coming to save them all, and their trainer would be so happy with them.

"It sounded human," Harper replied neutrally. She petted Unika with a wing as she brushed past, something she was doing more and more often that she wasn't sure she really liked, but it wasn't going to ruin her mood. "Stay here."

"But—!"

"No buts," Harper said automatically. She seemed to catch herself, and then added, "I just want to check on the situation. There is no need to be reckless when our teammates are relying on us, yes?"

"Oh. Yes." While she was still part of a team, Unika was not exactly used to thinking about the consequences of her actions. How could anything bad happen, after all? She was a hero, Harper was strong, and the world couldn't stop them.

Harper weaved in and out of a couple open doors, reporting nothing, and Unika watched her patiently. But then, right above her, there was a large thump and some scraping. She looked up, the ceiling giving her no answers, but then it clicked—there was another floor above them! Human buildings were weird, having so many floors and ceilings.

"Harper!" she hissed into the darkness. There was no reply, so she wriggled forward, calling out again, "Harper!"

"Shh!" The bird popped out of a broken window above a shut door. She awkwardly dropped out of it but caught herself before she hit the ground.

"They're above us! I heard them, I heard things! Normal things, like a battle, and we searched the wrong area!"

"Above—oh no, come on!" Without further warning, she grabbed Uni in her claws again and soared back down the way they came. The electric pokémon understood the need for haste, but it didn't mean she liked it, and she screwed her eyes shut as Harper darted up the giant hole to the top level.

There was definite human talking, but the two rounded a corner to come face to face, up close, to a beartic. Harper bit back a squawk and narrowly avoided colliding with the very surprised pokémon. She quickly wheeled around and darted into the nearest open door. "What the hell was that?" a human shouted.

"I think we found our other trainer," Harper breathed. She carefully released Uni, who hurt from how hard she had been held. But she wouldn't complain. Heroes didn't complain, and complaining only led to others being mad at her, anyway.

"Did you see our trainer?"

"I did not. Let's look for another—" The beartic literally broke into the room, caving part of the door frame in. Harper darted in front of Unika, wings spread in large flaps to hide her. "We have no quarrel with you."

"The gold one has quarrel with you," it growled back, but didn't sound particularly fearsome. "Do you belong to the human with the red hair?"

Harper was silent for a long time. Unika was about to speak up when she finally responded, "Yes. Do you know where my trainer is?"

"Come with me."

Harper waited until the beartic was turning back out of the broken doorway before nudging Uni towards the wall. "Follow behind us and stay unseen," the bird told her, voice low, and then flapped after it.

Unika was left alone in the darkness once again. It pressed in on her, filling the gap Harper had left, and it was a struggle not to bolt out after her. But she had been entrusted with an important mission, and she had to see it through.

"You're going to die."

Unika bobbed in the air from fright, whirling around to find two eyes, bright in the gloom. A purrloin slid out of the blackness like it were liquid and sat a respectable distance from the tynamo. "Heroes don't die," she said lamely.

"That human has been here for several days and killed many wild pokémon to clear out a space for himself. He's enslaved strong pokémon and moves more corpses than the most successful liepard. You'll be another one soon," the feline said matter-of-factly.

"I need to find my teammates and my trainer. My trainer, she's traveling with the human with red hair, the one the beartic talked about, so I need to go find her."

"The human with the yellow hair won't let you go. Or your humans. It's rare that humans kill each other, and I must say, it's lost its appeal," the purrloin said with ears flat along the back of its head. It stood up, tail swishing behind it, and smiled up at Unika with a mouth full of very sharp teeth. "If you and this trainer of yours want to get rid of him, I'll help you."

"Why would you help me?" Unika asked, instincts screaming at her to leave the dark pokémon alone.

"Pokémon should help each other."

She was not impressed with that answer and she hoped to convey it as well as Harper or Lala routinely did. There must have been some success, because the purrloin sighed heavily.

"My mate is set to have an egg within a week, and we won't be able to leave this place until the kit is able to walk. If cruel humans are in the area, I'd rather them gone, wouldn't you? So, I'll help you, and you will help me in return. Does that suit you better?"

Uni fretted back and forth. She needed help, and Harper was getting further away by the moment. "Alright, follow me—"

"Oh no. I'm not a battler like you trained pokémon," the purrloin said at once.

"You said you'd help!"

"I'm going to show you where all of the human's things are stashed, including several of 'his' pokémon who would rather not be. Let them battle for you, if you'd like that, or we can destroy his camp and give him no reason to remain here."

"How would that benefit my team?" Uni asked critically, sparking in warning.

"Where else would he be taking them? If nothing else, it would cause a distraction. Now come."

-.-.-

Jackster awoke to a super potion being dumped onto his face. He coughed and kicked, connecting with something that gave a yelp, and blinked up to find his trainer crouching over him. "Oh Jackster! You're awake, come on, we have to—"

He cut her off with a discharge to warn off the druddigon that was advancing on them both. Wherever they were, it was in chaos. It was still dark out, they were still inside, but they were no longer in the building's seemingly endless corridors. It looked to be the warehouse portion of the building, with the ceiling too far above them to see, and things and pokémon scattered about them haphazardly. Jackster snorted as the sharp tang of blood made it to his snout.

"We have to get out of here," he said and got to his hooves, continuing to survey the situation. His first priority was making sure Harry was safe, and his second was getting her out of there.

"Yeah, but Ree's pokemon—" She tugged on his scarf towards the wall. From the broken window, he could dimly see the small tynamo hovering over Harper.

He had not evolved simply to become a pack pokémon, but with Harry's friend still seemingly missing, he would make do. Harry still carried Whippy in her arms, and the servine, lazy lump that he was, was still out cold. The druddigon roared at them and Jackster zapped it again. His scarf was nearly drained and he was exhausted; this would be over with quickly if he didn't get some help.

He turned and nosed the limp grass pokémon. "Wake him, and bring me her other pokémon. I will clear a way."

Harry nodded with a quivering lip and teary eyes. Halloween had never been his favorite human holiday, but this cemented it. Jackster faced the dragon and pawed at the floor, trying to ignite his hooves, and finally found what had caused the blood smell: the beartic lay dead, cut open and partially torn apart, in front of the nearest doorway. They'd have to find another way out, but he couldn't help but wonder what his trainer had gone through prior to this.

His hooves finally caught and he charged at the druddigon. The fire worked to spur him on as well as cause a magnificent distraction while Harry ran for the other pokémon. He ducked underneath the dragon's swing and kicked at its stomach, charring its scales but not breaking through. It roared and swiped at him, throwing him across the room. Jackster landed heavily next to an ice-encased section of the room.

His eyes widened when he realized the male human was inside some of the ice. He frantically scanned the rest of it for his teammates or Harry's friend, but the only things he could see were a couple metal containers and half a broken table.

"Get away from him!" a woobat squealed shrilly, flapping into his face. Jackster backpedaled, heard a roar behind him, and jumped out of the way as blue flames bathed the area. It burst into steam as it contacted the ice, and Jackster took advantage of the cover. Or tried to; his hooves clattered even on the slushy ice beneath him, and the dragon rage followed him as he ran for it.

"Jackster!" Harry called and he searched through the mist, but couldn't even pick out her silhouette. "Whippy's aw—"

The mist was blown back with a gale of leaves and he dug in his hooves to keep his traction. Finally, the servine joined the fight again. Jackster scanned the room once more, but the only pokémon he could see were the druddigon and the woobat, who seemed to prioritize chipping away the ice.

"Here!" he shouted and the servine scampered across the battlefield, narrowly avoiding attacks as the dragon tried to catch up with him. Of course, that meant that the grass pokémon was bringing the foe to him, something that Jackster did not particularly desire. With a neigh, he galloped away from both of them, trying to fire attacks behind him.

There was a colossal crash and he skidded to a halt, finding the dragon face-down on the floor. Whippy stood beside it, looking pleased with himself. "Look what I did!"

The dragon, not knocked out, turned and snapped its jaws shut on the servine. Whippy screamed and it threw him across the room, shredding his leafy tail and scales down his sides. Jackster unleashed another arc of electricity directly at the druddigon's face, catching it off guard and singing most of its mouth.

A leaf tornado burst from where Whippy fell, and Jackster was pleased to find the servine still kicking. A little bloody and incredibly angry, but still battle ready. Before the gust had even died out, he unleashed another, and the dragon roared in pain and clamped its claws over its eyes. It stayed face-down, covering its head with its thick wings, and Jackster figured this was their chance. He was fine leaving the druddigon awake so long as they got out fine.

He bit down on Whippy's tail as he stalked past, pulling him away from the battle. "Hey! _Ow_!"

"Concentrate on saving your teammates," Jackster grunted and yanked him towards his own trainer. The grass pokémon grudgingly followed him. Harry tied Harper and Uni into his scarf (something he found entirely unnecessary), and as she fretted over him, he noticed that she was injured, too. Her palms were red with dried blood and part of her dress near her collar was torn and similarly bloody.

Apologetic, Jackster nosed her cheek. He should have noticed earlier. "It's okay, Jackster," Harry replied soothingly, as if reading his mind. "Are you ready?"

"Get on," he replied, confused.

"I can run, and you can run faster without me."

"Trainer, get on. I'm bigger now," he said, and hoped he didn't sound whiny. Behind them, the druddigon was peeking out from under its wings. Jackster sighed and nodded at Whippy. The servine wrapped his good vine around Harry's waist and lifted, while Jackster knelt down and slid underneath her.

It was new, feeling her so much lighter. As a blitzle, he could have carried her for short distances, but this... This was real strength. For the first time in recent memory, he smiled to himself.

He leapt up onto an empty shipping crate, and onto another just as the druddigon set fire to the lower one with bright blue flames. Whippy tried to blow them out with another leaf tornado. It didn't work, but it did keep the dragon from jumping up after them. A broken window and a rough landing that twisted his ankle later, they were out into the night. Jackster hid the limp as best he could, and after awhile, galloping made it easier to ignore the pain, anyway.

The zebstrika slowed to a trot once the building was completely out of their sight. He was fairly certain that this was the route back to the human city, but it was dark and the trees all around weren't helping his sense of direction. At least the stillness of the night would allow them to hear any followers.

His ears pricked up when he heard a sniff. After another, he realized it was his trainer, crying.

Jackster hung his head low and set off in what he hoped was the direction she wanted. At least he could do that.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: With only Harry and Unika conscious throughout the entire night, Ree tries to puzzle out what happened between everyone after the trainers reunite. It's harder than it should be. Harry makes a decision of her own, and gym leaders are challenged. Of course, things can't be that simple and Ree suddenly has a very new problem to deal with, even when she thought she was making progress...


	31. Of Handling A Little Pain

"Hey boy! How have you been?" Ree laughed as the serperior coiled around and around her, hissing and snorting happily. Bo nuzzled up between her neck and shoulder, and then flopped down onto her entirely, knocking her flat. "Oof, you certainly grew enough. Has Maya been spoiling you?"

"Pirii," he replied with an innocent tone.

"Little lying shit. Will you at least tell me where she's hiding and why she needed me so badly?"

"Ser-pi!" Bo called and Maya ducked her head out of the bathroom. Her hair was down (looking like it hadn't been brushed) and she seemed to be missing a shirt, but she broke into a wide, relieved grin at the sight of her sister.

Ree pushed the serperior off of her, tossed her bag into the corner, and went to hug her sister. Who was definitely shirtless and braless. Maya squealed and tried to wiggle her hands, pinned between them to preserve her modesty, and eventually just gave up and let her sister hug her. And Ree was content to embarrass her like that. "How's my favorite sister with an emergency doing?"

"Don't patronize me, this is important," Maya growled into her shoulder. "I need you to keep Jonah entertained for a week."

"I thought Damian was your boyfriend."

"He was _not_, and Jonah is the boy I'm traveling with now."

"Right, and why does he need to be distracted?"

"Because I pierced my nipples and I want them to be a surprise but I have to let them heal and he's been getting grabby," Maya whined in one rushed breath.

Slowly, Ree released her hug and held her sister at arm's length. The younger girl tried to smile in a reassuring manner, but it didn't work. "...Am I going to have to kill this boy?"

"No."

"Him getting grabby would be consensual in other circumstances?"

Maya immediately averted her eyes and the color rose in her cheeks. "W-Well, yes..."

Ree pondered that for a moment. Her sister was technically legal, and Ree wasn't exactly a paragon of morality herself. But the thought of her little sister getting it on with a boy she hadn't met... "When did you get kinky?" she asked bluntly, because the thought of her little sister with piercings that weren't in her ears was something to ponder, too.

"You did it too!" Maya spat, blushing harder. Yes, Ree had tried before, but one had gotten infected within the month due to her own negligence and she'd given them both up. Scott had tried to hold a funeral.

"Did you do it _for_ this boy, or for yourself and he happened to be in the picture?" Ree asked critically.

"...I don't know. Does it matter?" Maya asked and at once grimaced at the look Ree gave her. "It was probably about equal parts, but it's not like I _mind_. I can handle a little pain. And I've heard they're fun."

"Well, if he tries getting _grabby_ while I'm here, we're going to find out how well he can handle pain."

"I just want you as an excuse for him to behave! Don't ruin the surprise, and don't castrate him."

Ree sighed. "I probably won't. It's fucking exhausting being the responsible one. Just be better than I did and remember to clean them more than once a week."

"I will. I'm not you," Maya grumbled.

"...Hopefully. And just so you know, they _are_ fun."

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty-One**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Handling A Little Pain

-.-.-

"Good morning sunshine!"

Ree blinked blearily at blond hair and scruff and instinctively leaned up for a kiss. With an only partially nervous laugh, Allen leaned back out of her reach and the girl was left alone with the realization that it was not Scott waking her up.

Well, that was a mood killer.

"Okay, so I have some good news, some weird news, and some even better news. Which would you like first?" he asked her and at least he didn't remark upon the kiss. Ree sat up and stretched. She pretended not to be put out by it.

"What's the good news?"

"Lenore's already here to check up on you."

Ree choked on her breath. "How is that good news?!" she demanded, already thinking of all of the injuries she'd receive the evil eye for.

But wait.

She had been thrown, she had fallen, she had been holding Harry's weight... Ree's hands slithered over her belly. She suddenly felt very cold.

"While she has been alarmed at all of the goings-on, she says she thinks you'll be fine!" Allen said quickly, an obvious lie.

But it made her feel a little bit better.

His audino squeezed in between her legs and patted her stomach too, cooing at it. It then placed the side of its head against her, and then chirped to Allen. "See? Guerissie says there's still a healthy heartbeat," he added.

"What's the better news?" The morning was not kind to her, but her voice remained steady. She could miss Scott and worry over her body later.

"Everyone else is okay!"

She let out the breath she'd been holding.

"Harry's in the hospital being checked over and questioned now, and between the two of you, all of your pokémon are accounted for. There are some injuries, but most of them are minor and your team has already been checked out. And speaking of, I have a whimsicott here for you." He pulled a pokeball out of his bag and held it out through the bars from her.

She tried to hide the groan when she stood up, but she could tell he heard her. Either way, she had Lala back, and she gratefully rubbed the ball against her cheek.

"Unika was almost entirely unharmed, only exhausted. Harper and Whippy were a little worse for wear, but no major broken anything, as far as I'd heard. You can get them back shortly."

Ree leaned against the metal bars and pursed her lips at him again. He didn't back away but he did crack another smile. "I'll bite, what's the weird news?"

"No one has any idea what happened to anyone. The pokémon were in and out of battle, you and Harry had been separated, and what stories we _have_ gotten are conflicting and patchy. After you see Lenore, you'll be questioned and then questioned again with Harry."

"What about the warehouse?"

"Corpses and damage. That's all we got from it."

The day had warmed but there was still a bite to the air that Ree didn't like. November already. April would be upon her before she knew it, and she was already slipping into a hot mess of a trainer. She was self-aware enough to realize that, at least.

They found Lenore in a cramped little office, stabbing at a salad and reading some sort of biography. Both Ree and Allen jumped when she snapped the book closed. He closed an arm around her shoulders to prevent the obvious bolt reflex. "So, I heard you went on an adventure last night," she said, voice completely even.

Ree pushed back against his arm, testing his strength. Allen held firm. "It was not intended to be," she said.

Lenore stood up and towered over the both of them. Ree, a tall girl herself, was _not_ used to being the shorter party (especially to another woman) and it was more than slightly intimidating. But she _was_ used to being stubborn, and for all intents and purposes, her plan had succeeded. Jackster had evolved. Of course, neither of them had to know anything about her plan, even if they undoubtedly had their suspicions.

Without warning, Lenore yanked Ree's shirt up. It was all she could do not to yowl when the fabric pulled against her side. The doctor's eyes narrowed. "...Take off the coat and the shirt. Full examination. And start talking, if you'd please."

Ree's stomach growled in response to contact with the outside air. She restrained a grin. "Food first?"

"You'll survive another hour. Up on the table."

As she started discarding clothing, Allen made an escape under the pretense of preserving her modesty. Too soon for her tastes, she was alone with Lenore and half-naked on a cold metal table. And at her doctor's literal prodding, she recounted what she recalled from the night prior.

Lenore was not happy about all of it, but Ree did have the advantage of a fetal heartbeat and no deaths on her side. Surely it wasn't _that_ large of a disaster.

"Do you even realize what sort of responsibility you have right now?"

"Do you even realize that I literally cannot fathom that a thing is growing inside of me? Also, this was an accident." She wasn't sure if she meant Halloween or the baby in general. "I know this is a big responsibility and I have to be a mature adult and all that, but I'm not made of glass. I _had_ to defend myself and my team. And Harry. It's not as if I chose to be attacked by mister machete."

Lenore rolled back from the table, to the cabinets lining the wall. Ree's eyes darted to her unfinished salad. "You'll need more tests done in general, plus I'd like to do a couple extra just to make sure all of this stress hasn't had any effects. Moreover, I would like you to start following a stricter diet as well as keep exercise more regular and less... strenuous."

"I walk plenty while I'm traveling."

"Yes, but you haven't traveled for awhile. And sometimes you run, and sometimes you get into fights, and you probably think mountain climbing is a good idea, too."

Ree could have half of the salad down her throat before Lenore could pull her away. Her stomach grumbled again. "What kind of diet were you thinking?"

"Lots of fruits and vegetables." Salad was a vegetable. "Eat more in general, since you need to be putting on more weight, but not empty calories and not just all sugar and junk food."

"I hunt when I'm out in the wilds."

"And then you have fast food when you're in the city."

"I can't afford it as often as you think I can," Ree replied shrewdly.

"Don't overdose on protein wherever you are, and more fruits and vegetables. Particularly fruits," Lenore said in return.

At that point, Allen returned with a tray of hospital food. When he handed Ree a cheeseburger, she threw herself at him. And shoved half of it into her mouth at once, but no one ever said that hugs had to be graceful motions.

She was certain she practically hear Lenore rub her temples from across the room.

"I need to eat more," Ree said and tried to smile around her meal.

"I figured as much. Lenore, have you eaten anything besides a couple of pieces of lettuce?"

"I'm not particularly hungry," she said dryly and pointed back at the examination table, "and now, if you'd please return to our exam. And thank you, Allen, for making her blood sugar spike."

"Sorry," he replied mareepishly, but hardly looked apologetic.

As Lenore began prodding Ree with various needles and charts, she and Allen made a game out of eating. He'd feed her spoonfuls of jello over Lenore's head, or try to toss grapes and berries across the room, and to their credit only one bounced and hit the older woman. It made feeling like a pincushion a little easier to cope with.

It took just over an hour before Lenore was pleased with the information she'd gotten. Ree had blood drawn, more needles in her arms and legs than she could count, had been measured for seemingly everything possible, and even got to hear the heartbeat for the first time. And then came the lecturing and they were stuck there for another forty minutes.

"Vitamins. Every day. _Every_ day. Trainer kinds _and_ prenatal. Repeat after me."

"Vitamins, every day, both kinds."

"Travel with someone else at all times, and give me their cell phone number. Honestly speaking, I'm about to break the law and order a psychic lock on your companion as well."

"Let's not," Allen broke in nervously.

"Speaking of, can I see Harry now?"

"...Yes. Allen, would you mind escorting her there and then coming back? I'd like to discuss your plans for the other beartic."

Thinking back, it had been missing when she'd woken up from her nap. Ree waited until they were in the elevator before fixing her guard with an arched brow. "What _are_ you going to do with the beartic?"

"She's in sort of a precarious position, actually, so officially we have no routes to take."

"You don't know how to deal with poacher's pokémon?"

"We know how to take care of those," he replied, clearly annoyed. "But her story is that she was more or less blackmailed to stay there and kept to breed, and it's sort of a mess. And no one wants to press the irritated pregnant beartic for too much information right now..."

"It's _pregnant_?"

"Why do you think she took you away from all the fighting?" Allen asked in confusion.

Ree gestured down to her nearly-flat stomach. "How can she tell?"

"Pokémon have keener senses. She probably smelled your hormones or something."

Bugs had sensed her before, but now mammals could too? She'd have to avoid Yorick even more. Yorick and Rocio and—"How well do grass pokémon pick up stuff like hormones?"

"Uh. I don't know. You'd be better off asking an expert, if you know any."

"Yeah, unfortunately I do." Okay, so nowhere getting near Scott or Maya. She had been trying to avoid them on principle, but knowing it would give away her secret if she did at all... It was not a pleasant subject to think about. And she wasn't even halfway done with her pregnancy.

He deposited her in a room on the third floor with a bandaged redhead and a zebstrika. Before he could retreat, however, Ree seized him and stared. Hard.

"Pokémon."

"You sure you don't want to talk with Harry first?" Allen pleaded.

"I want my pokémon. You said they were fine. Why can't I have my pokémon?"

"Because they're still being questioned," he confessed, and surprisingly quickly at that. "I told you, we need more information. Your turn will be soon enough."

"Why can't you question us all at once?"

"We need unbiased answers first, now please, just go talk with the cute redhead and get your answer biased from her instead." He pushed her into the room and shut the door before she could point out how contradictory that was. Frowning suspiciously, she sat down in the guest chair next to the zebstrika. Jackster flicked an ear in greeting.

_So, why are they letting me talk to Harry and not my own team yet?_ But before Ree started doubting the adults, she had to check on Harry. "Hey."

"Hi," Harry squeaked back with a soft smile. She had bandages around her throat and one hand and a couple of bruises peeked out from behind her hair and clothes. But she was alive, Ree told herself.

"What happened here?" she asked, gesturing to her neck.

Her eyes darted to the empty doorway, and only after did she lean in to whisper, "Do you remember the boy who had been there?"

"Yeah."

"They think he was dangerous."

"...I'm _pretty_ sure he was," Ree replied with a grimace. His own pokémon had tattled on him. He had attacked them all. And he'd probably been doing a bunch of illegal stuff to boot.

"Um, Allen said that if he was willing to attack trainers... I-I guess there's something about a psych profile on pokémon poachers, and if they're willing to hurt humans, it means they do worse stuff. I think," Harry said quietly.

"So what, they think he's a serial killer?" She supposed she could see why they'd be worried about a serial killer so close to a large city. But it was a gym city, and the kid had been scrawny to boot. She wasn't even sure he would've been taller than Harry. "That kid looked pretty young. I doubt he's too much trouble..."

"Ree, _we're_ pretty young. Our pokémon are pretty strong. Young trainers can have very strong pokémon these days."

"I meant him. Yeah, strong trainer, whatever—but he's a _kid_, those don't become murderers. Maybe with his pokémon he does some shit, maybe his pokémon do it for him, but he's not going to go stab someone on his own."

Harry didn't say anything.

-.-.-

"My baby!" Ree squealed as Whippy jumped into her open arms. He slithered all over her, tail quivering happily, and she struggled to keep her hands on him to scratch and pet and make sure he was in one piece. "Holy shit, what happened to your tail?" Most of it was covered in gauze and more bandages, and nearly all of his leafy tip was shredded or missing.

"Ser!" Whippy said happily, nuzzling into her neck. She had a feeling it wasn't an answer. She frowned at his tail and wondered if she could get a copy of their statements so she didn't have to try to get a translator instead.

One servine thrown over her shoulders, one new pokeball in one hand, and one pokeball she'd already gotten from Allen in the other. One plus one plus one equaled three. "Um, where's my other pokémon?" Ree asked of the nurse, perhaps a little rudely.

But to be fair, the last twenty-four hours had been stressful. The latest batch of questioning, with Harry, had not done anything to soothe her nerves. She wasn't even sure why they just _had_ to be questioned together, anyway; Ree could hardly back up any of Harry's story (not having been there, and she felt guilty enough already, thank you), and all Harry could say was that yes, Ree was indeed carried off by a beartic late last night.

"Oh, you'll be able to see her shortly. The doctor just wanted to check on something," the nurse replied with an irritatingly fake smile.

"Or you could tell me what's wrong. I'm getting a little tired of all this shit."

"Ree, she said it would be just a moment," Harry piped up with a tug on her sleeve. Ree relented and sat in a waiting chair. She tried to set her chin on top of Whippy's head, but his little horn got in the way of all her efforts. It degraded into a twisted sort of nuzzling war instead.

She released Lala. The whimsicott was still tired, but looked significantly more aware than the last time she'd seen her, so Ree just grabbed her up too before she could flee. Fluffy nuzzling war. Lala scowled and growled and struggled, but she was part of it whether she wanted to or not. Ree released Unika next so they could wait for Harper together and she could make sure her team was, indeed, fine, but there was a major problem that immediately caught her eye.

That wasn't Unika. Harper cocked her head and looked up at her. There were a couple bandages poking out from between her feathers, but she flapped up onto Ree's shoulder with no problem, cooing softly into her ear. Comfortingly. As if she knew Ree would be in a state.

"You're not Uni," the trainer said. Lala snorted in her arms.

"Tranquill-quill," Harper repeated soothingly.

"Ser?" Whippy asked, tilting his head back and nearly stabbing Ree in the shoulder with his horn.

"Tran."

Ree was unable to fully explain why she had thought it was Harper still being held, except for the nasty fact that it had consistently been Harper who had had tragedy befall her. Harper had been mixed up with Jackster, Harper had been shot. The other three were the safe ones. (Ree stubbornly didn't think about the fourth.)

Except she _knew_ why she had thought it was Harper—just that. Harper had been marked in her mind as the next, the continued tragedy. Whippy was her starter and thus invincible, and Lala was the strongest and thus relatively untouchable. Unika was new and young and small. Harper had been the first one to die. (And Ree wasn't going to make the mistake of getting a second Mitzi.)

"Hey! What's wrong with my tynamo?" Ree asked loudly and stood up. Harry tugged on her sleeve again to try to get her back down.

"Unika just had a busy night. She was fine when I came back into town with her," she said, almost pleaded. "They said it would be just a moment. Pl-Please."

"Yeah, but I thought—" She didn't know how to explain her different attachment to Harper. Not to Harry, not to Harper, not to anyone. "I just want to know what's wrong with her. You said she was fine, so why are they holding her longer?"

"Tranquill?" Harper asked in alarm.

"Servine, ser-servine!" Whippy exclaimed. He wiggled in Ree's arms, trying to get down, but she wasn't ready to let him go.

"Whim," Lala added airily. Harper tensed on her shoulder.

"Do you guys know what's going on?" Ree finally sat down again, to Harry's relief, and stared hard at the two grass pokémon in her grasp. Lala shrugged moodily. Whippy, staring back up at her with big, innocent eyes, only shook his head. She wasn't sure she believed either of them, but Whippy was probably a little more trustworthy. "What about you, harpy?"

Harper pointedly avoided her gaze.

"...Harper, do you know what's going on?"

"Quill," she grumbled.

"Scott, whimsicott-si-sicott?" Lala asked in a tone that told Ree it probably wasn't something nice.

"Tranquill!" the bird snapped back.

"Whim."

"Tran_quill_."

"Can you two not argue while you're in my immediate vicinity?" Ree groused. "Harry, how much longer until I can understand them like you understand your team?"

"It depends, I think," Harry replied with her eyes on Ree's pokémon.

She reluctantly returned all three of them, just to prevent further bickering. She didn't know what they were on about, either, which didn't sit well with her. Harry let her run down to the lobby to ask for the transcripts of their questioning, and it only soured Ree's mood when she came back with them and Unika _still_ wasn't released to her.

She pored over Whippy's transcript first. He seemed to have been unusually well-behaved, though he kept interrupting to ask where Ree was. She couldn't restrain a smile. But it was also bizarre to simply _read_ what he was saying. It was even weirder to read about his perspective on various battles he'd been in.

"They took down a druddigon?" she asked in surprise. Harry blushed but nodded. So Whippy had been in and out of battle and consciousness for most of the night, could only identify half of the pokémon he encountered, and was unusually helpful when promised he'd see Ree afterward. If only he could be that helpful when battling for her.

Lala's was less than a page long. And she wasn't sure how much of it was translation error or style choices, but she seemed to have much more finesse when communicating. Could pokémon translators capture things like speech pattern and word choice? Did pokémon even _have_ word choice? But given that Lala and Ree had been together for most of the night, there weren't any answers there.

So why had Lala seemed like she had known something?

Harper's recounting of the night also seemed spotty, although Ree finally got her answer as to why she and Unika had been late with their plan: they had been ambushed by a bunch of galvantula. While that made Ree feel immensely guilty for sending them off on their own like that, she was the tiniest bit reassured by the fact that they had seemed to stick together throughout most of the night. Harper's answers were direct and helpful, but rarely gave away anything that wasn't immediately related to the answer.

And she seemed to dodge a couple of the questions about Unika.

"Harry, what do you think of Unika? My tynamo?" she asked the redheaded girl beside her.

"Oh, um. She seems sweet enough, but a little inexperienced. B-But that's fine, since she's still new!" she said quickly.

That was largely similar to Ree's own view of her. Sure, she was a little flighty at times and Ree _still_ wondered why a young tynamo was wandering around in the forest alone, but she was a decent battler for her size and limited training. And Harper and Whippy liked her well enough. She had thought—hoped—that Lala's indifference to her was mostly based upon the fact that she kept making her fluff static-y.

Unika's transcript was far longer than any of the others'. Surprised, Ree flipped through the pages, and then was outright shocked to see that the reason for it was that Unika had been conscious the entire time. Her little, inexperienced, unevolved pokémon was the only one with a complete story to tell. The beginning of hers aligned with Harper's, but soon they got separated, and then there was quite a long segment of Unika talking about a purrloin and its baby with the interrogator trying to keep her on track.

While the fact that she could paint a complete picture of the night was valuable (and a little perplexing), what caught Ree's eye was Unika's own method of talking. Translating pokémon speech _had_ to have some level of accuracy to it, considering how different the other three's answers had been, but Unika's was downright erratic. She repeated herself and there were several reminders to keep on track, far too many for it to chalk up to misbehavior. She went off on tangents and referred to herself and Harper in strange ways, strange even for pokémon, which was saying something since she now had printed proof of how Lala referred to them all.

"Unika was with you the entire night, wasn't she?" Ree asked.

"She wasn't with me," Harry replied with her own surprise. "But I suppose I hadn't seen her knocked out... It wasn't until you and Lala had been taken that we saw either Harper or her."

"...I guess they won't release your transcript to me, huh?" she asked wryly.

"N-No, they probably won't."

Ree didn't ask if she would talk about it; Harry very clearly did not wish to. She had her own team's stories in her hands, at any rate, and surely that would fill more gaps. And was it her business to butt into Harry's version of that night? Concern for a friend and wanting to respect her privacy warred within her mind.

...Maybe she could ask Allen about it later.

"Miss Majors?" the nurse called.

Ree practically leapt out of her chair. "Finally. Is my tynamo alright?"

"One of our doctors would like to talk to you about that."

She was led out into a tiny, sterile office. It had a couple of those awkward medical posters on the wall, a single full bookcase, and the smallest desk she had ever seen in a professional environment. The tall blonde on the other side of the desk smiled sunnily and offered her hand as Ree sat down opposite her. "Hello! You must be the tynamo's trainer."

Ree didn't shake her hand. The books on the bookcase were starting to make her nervous. "Yeah."

"My name is Charlotte Applegate."

"Ree."

"You must be wondering why you're in here," Charlotte said as she adjusted her glasses. Ree continued scanning the books in the office. _DSM-5_, _DSM-IV_, _ICD-10_, a rather lot of acronyms. "Your tynamo is exhausted, but she's doing fine. All she needs is a little rest to recover from whatever brought her in here. May I ask how long you've had her?"

"Uh, only a couple weeks."

"How did you catch her?"

"She was out in the forest on the wrong side of Driftveil. Just wandered up and we caught her." Well, that cemented the fact that Unika shouldn't have been there. The doctor nodded thoughtfully. "Is something the matter?" Ree finally asked, tearing her eyes from the clinical titles.

"I'll be frank with you. It came to the UFO's attention that your tynamo had been behaving strangely, and after a longer—but not perfect by any means—examination, we believe she may have some sort of psychological disorder. Many pokémon are prone to such things, notably electric and psychic pokémon, and in the former's case it's widely believed to be due in part to the manner in which electricity is conducted through their bodies."

"...Disorder?" Ree repeated faintly.

"This is a highly imperfect and quick diagnosis—officially I shouldn't even be using that word, but the UFO likes their fast work, you know—but it is entirely possible. Physically, it will not impact your pokémon in any way, and if you and she like, she can continue battling without any issue. But as her trainer, it is wise to keep an eye on her, and after a few more examinations and check-ups, we could officially diagnose her and prescribe something for her, if you'd like."

"Wait, wait. _Disorder_? But you're not diagnosing her yet?"

"Not officially," the blonde replied simply. Adjusting her glasses again, she added, "But in my view, it's a rather textbook case and there should be few issues with classifying her."

"_Classifying_ her? She's a tynamo, not some creature from space!" Ree hissed.

"...I am on your side. Your pokémon is fine. Healthy. But as her trainer, you should be aware of some behavioral tendencies, and it is your responsibility to care for her should she have special or extra needs," Charlotte replied coolly. "Furthermore, there is nothing _wrong_ with her. These sorts of things occur naturally in pokémon, just as they do in humans, and at roughly the same rates in wild or bred pokémon."

"I never said there was anything wrong with her. Just—hold up a moment." She slid down in her chair with a sigh. She had been worried about Harper, too worried, and it was Unika who had been having problems. She had seemed excitable at times, sure, but she had chalked it up to her age and personality. "...You know she's young, right? How do you know she's not just a growing kid?"

"Have you received transcripts of her questioning?"

"Yeah, but I haven't gotten through all of it..."

"Towards the end, her personality suddenly shifted without warning, causing alarm in the translating psychic. I was asked to look over her—"

"What do you mean her personality shifted?!" Ree broke in. She was all agitation again, annoyed that this doctor was accusing her pokémon of such things, but also mad at herself that—she didn't know what. That it happened, that she hadn't noticed, that she had caught her on a whim, that she could have been making it worse.

"Rather, her mood shifted. She is still the same pokémon, I assure you."

"What exactly do you think she has?"

"She's exhibited a textbook hypomanic episode, and the psychic pokémon witnessed the abrupt ending to that. When asked about it, she admitted to sometimes feeling very energetic or happy, mixed with periods of symptoms similar to depression. It is entirely possible she has bipolar I disorder, or possibly cyclothymia. We would like to schedule another appointment to discuss this with you and her in more detail, within the next week, if at all possible."

Ree only nodded.

-.-.-

Ree laid in bed with her four pokémon. Well, Unika floated above her chest, snoring in her little squeaky manner. Whippy's tail leaf was all but shredded but he was okay overall. Lala was pretty good as well. Harper was exhausted but fine. Unika was likewise drained, yet she was... Ree couldn't process it. She had so little experience with mental illness and what it entailed, and who knew what sort of complications being a pokémon would bring into it.

She had caught Unika to prove to herself that she could move on past Mitzi's death. And she could, she was. But she had not signed up for more team problems.

But who was she to turn her own pokémon away? She hadn't asked for it, but she was stuck with it, and like hell she would betray Uni like that. The doctor had repeatedly confirmed that battling would not be a problem, there was medication and therapy options, she wasn't even officially diagnosed yet... But it all sat so heavily in her stomach.

No, wait, that was morning sickness. She rolled out of bed and dragged herself to the bathroom. Even nausea was secondary to her fatigue.

She didn't sleep well that night. Only half of it was due to a nasty bout of sickness. And her morning started off shitty as well: Allen was leaving her. "What," she said flatly, eyes narrowed to slits.

"You said you'll be in town for a few more days, to challenge Clay and recuperate a bit—a good idea, I might add," he said with a disgusting morning person smile. "And due to some under-staffing issues and a sort of unorthodox method of taking care of this, I'm going to be dropping off the beartic myself somewhere safe."

"Unorthodox?" Harry asked.

"They basically just shoved it all onto my lap and told me to deal with it," Allen said with a still-cheery smile.

"How professional."

"Unova is known for taking care of its problems, however possible. Now, I'll only be gone a week or so, and another operative will be assigned to you in the meantime. Tranjero will stay here with her so there's no need to involve another psychic lock."

"Yippy skippy," Ree deadpanned.

And still Allen's smile never wavered. "She should be here pretty soon, so if you girls would like to get breakfast, we'll meet you afterward in the lobby?"

Actually, Ree wanted very much to go back to bed and try to get some sleep. But her empty stomach was growling, too, which Harry took as a sign that food should trump sleepiness. She tried to doze in the mess hall, simply letting her pokémon grab their own food, which probably wasn't the brightest of ideas.

Even dumber was that Scott had completely slipped her mind.

Harry suddenly choked on her food and shoved Ree down into Lala's fluff. "O-Oh my gosh!"

"What the hell?!"

"Shh! You—I—it's your boyfriend!" she squealed. Ree froze and Whippy repeated Harry's gag. The two girls peeked up over the edge of the table, and sure enough, Scott seemed to be sleepwalking his way through the food line. His pokémon hadn't been released yet, which meant their window for easy escape was rapidly narrowing.

"Guys, grab your food and run. Meet us back at the room," Ree whispered. She received three nods in return; Lala blatantly ignored her and continued shoveling jam into her mouth. "I mean it, missy. I'm not going to bail you out."

"Scott."

"Yeah, I know."

While his back was to them, busying himself with collecting waffles, Ree and Harry made a break for it. Harry had returned her pokémon, not letting them fend for themselves like Ree, and maybe that had been the way to go. Then again, that would have involved separating them from their food. Even sleepy, she wasn't that stupid. And if he caught sight of any of her pokémon, who cared? He already knew they were there and it's not as if they could give away her secret.

They almost made it all the way to the lobby before a nurse stopped them. "Oh, excuse me!" She flagged them down and while she was not above running for it, Harry was. "One of you is the trainer of the new zebstrika, correct?"

"Oh, that's me. Is something the matter?" Harry asked politely.

"Am I needed here?" Ree butted in.

The nurse gave her a confused look, but said, "No, I just need some paperwork. Unless one of your pokémon recently evolved as well?"

"Nosogottagobye!" And Ree was halfway down the hall before they could respond.

So she'd left her pokémon in the cafeteria, Harry was filling out forms, Allen was leaving her, and Ree was all alone in their bathroom, heaving again. The perfect morning.

She texted Allen that she was back in her room and unabashedly fell asleep on the toilet. She wasn't sure how long it had been before he was shaking her awake, but at least she didn't lean up for a kiss again. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Not really."

"Do you want to get dressed before meeting the other operative?"

"Not really."

"Alright then." Allen stood back up and stepped aside, gesturing to a heavier woman already in the room, his elgyem by her side. "Ree, this is Maria Delgado, an old friend of mine. Maria, this is the girl I've been guarding."

"Well, she looks like shit," Maria said, cocking her head to one side, her dark hair falling over her shoulder.

Ree figured she was probably going to like her. "I feel like it. How much does she know?"

"Everything," Allen replied, brows furrowed in confusion. "She has an equal rank to me and most of the information is pertinent to—"

"If you're wondering, I don't care that you're knocked up or assaulted two people with weapons," Maria piped up. "I'm just here to bail your ass out of shit for the next week."

Ree was definitely going to like her. "If it's any consolation to you, Allen, I think I'm staying in for the day. I forgot Scott's down in the lobby and I don't feel like playing assassin out the window today, so I'll behave and just stay in here. Next to my toilet. At least it loves me." And it didn't dump mental illnesses or dead pokémon complexes on her.

"Scott?" the female operative asked archly.

"Her boyfriend."

"Some sort of abuse history?"

"_No_," Ree interrupted firmly. "I just don't want him to know. I'll—urgh—show you some pictures later, since your main job will be the delightful job of helping me hide from him in town. I'm all troubled out for awhile."

"This will be fun."

"Just don't break too many laws, you two," Allen said with a sigh. "I'm not leaving until later this afternoon, so at _least_ behave until then. Ree, do you plan on challenging Clay when I'm gone?"

"Yeah. I wanna get out of here soon."

"Do me a favor and bring Maria with you. After last night, I just... Please, just stay safe. And don't aggravate Lenore too much while I'm gone."

Ree made some empty promise about it while Maria teased Allen about a soft spot for the baby doctor. And then, he was gone. Sure, he left her all the time, but there was some comfort in knowing that he was a phone call and a teleport away. Maria stayed in the room with her, sitting on the bathroom floor, and simply watched her for awhile. It wasn't long, however, before they were trading stories and Ree was telling her all about the boyfriend she was avoiding.

"It's his baby, right?" she asked frankly.

"_Yes_, it is. Well, no, it's _my_ baby, so I'm deciding what to do with it."

"And you decided to cut him out of the equation altogether."

"I don't like your tone. Don't make me throw up on you. I already have a bad track record with that," Ree threatened.

Maria put up her hands in a placating gesture. "No, no, your business is your own. I'm not getting paid to judge, just make sure you don't kill anyone or get killed. Or maimed. That goes both ways—don't maim anyone. Pershing was particularly emphatic about that part."

"All I want to do is keep down food, sleep for twelve hours, and get another shiny little gym badge. Then I'm out of here."

"Where to? Half the north already has snow."

"...Probably east or back down south. I'll just train for awhile until it clears up in the spring," Ree mumbled into the toilet bowl.

"You're due in April. That's not a lot of time."

"It'll only be three more badges."

"Plus a lot of travel time."

"Excuse me, are you getting paid to bitch at me?"

"You're not paying me at all," Maria replied with a snort.

"Ree? Are you in?" Harry called, and then peeked around the corner. Whippy was in her arms, but the second he saw Maria, he turned into a hissing, spitting ball of protectiveness that was generating far too much noise for Ree's mood. She reached over and snagged him before he could do any damage.

"Huh, should've met the pokémon. And you must be her traveling companion."

"Y-Yes. I'm Harry."

"This is Maria," Ree grunted, petting Whippy until he deflated. "Mister, this is the substitute Allen. Don't bite her. She's going to help us keep Scottie away."

"Servine," he muttered sullenly.

"Good boy. Harry, what did that nurse want? And did you see any of my other pokémon heading out?"

"You give them quite a bit of freedom," Maria remarked unnecessarily.

"I thought you weren't paid to judge."

"S-So since Jackster evolved, he's now a bigger size," Harry said loudly, drawing their attention again, "and that moved him up to the next size class. Um, I'm going to have to volunteer with some food preparation while we stay here... I have a little pamphlet about it and everything."

"About _what_?"

"Pokémon are divided up into size classes. It's a quick and easy way for pokémon centers to figure out how much food they need to prepare, and in order to compensate for larger pokémon, trainers with pokémon in certain classes have to help out with some of the tasks in pokémon centers," Maria supplied.

"...Um, yes. That's about what the pamphlet said," Harry said, looking at the operative with a mixture of surprise and wonder. "Zebstrika are on the lower end of the second class, so I'll be helping out in kitchens a bit more. I signed up for the evenings, if that's alright..."

"Fine by me." Ree looked down at the servine wedged between her knees. She supposed most of her team _was_ rather small. So blitzle were the smallest size category, but zebstrika got boosted up one. She wondered where they drew the line. "Are serperior in the next category?"

"I think so? They're larger than zebstrika, so they'd have to be," Harry said and shrugged.

"Hey, Maria, wanna do me a favor as my UFO?" Ree asked with a charming smile she certainly wasn't feeling.

"...Depends."

"Your poor, hungry, pregnant charge didn't get to eat breakfast. Bring me up some food? You'll be able to see Scottie in person then." She even batted her eyes.

Maria rolled hers. "Fine, but you're only getting babied since I'm still here. Don't expect any other sort of preferential treatment once I leave the center."

"Speaking of preferential treatment, if you see a whimsicott, tranquill, or tynamo, grab them for me, too."

Maria stuck out her tongue but left all the same. Helpful. Ree tore herself from the toilet, scooping Whippy up in her arms, and grabbed herself a glass of water. Harry watched her with an expression she couldn't quite read, which was worrying in itself.

"Something on your mind?"

"Huh?" She jumped, snapped out of her thoughts, and looked up at Ree as if just now focusing on her. Safe to assume she wasn't thinking about Ree, then.

"...I know it's been a little hectic the past couple of days. How about we just stay inside today and relax? I'm sure there will be something on TV, and honestly speaking, we both need showers. I'm sure our teams do too."

Harry eased into a small but genuine smile. "That sounds lovely."

-.-.-

Hattie evolved the second she could. Which involved pushing Unika off the bunk bed, unfortunately. Harry, who had been in the bathroom trying to scrub Jackster down, completely missed it and for one glorious moment, Ree felt vindicated that she wasn't the only trainer who missed their pokémon's evolution. But then there was much cooing and congratulating and excitement and pizza ordering. It was after supper and none of them were necessarily hungry except for the new swadloon, but pizza was pizza.

Ree soothed an admittedly more morose Unika in her arms for the rest of the night. She saw what they had meant by a personality shift. The little electric pokémon was lethargic, barely ate anything, and shied away from everyone but Harper and Ree. It was so at odds with just the day before. It made her want to cry to admit it (even to herself), but perhaps there was something to that diagnosis.

She spent that night curled up around Uni, who floated above her wrist, thinking sad thoughts. But at least they both slept. She had to admit, even with a depressed tynamo to care for, having a full night's sleep did wonders for her mood.

She made another appointment with that psychologist, allowing her to run a few more tests, and shared all she knew about Unika. Which, admittedly, wasn't very much. Unika herself hardly spoke to either Ree or a translator pokémon, and that didn't help the issue any.

But it got them the official unofficial diagnosis of cyclothymia.

Another day spent inside, but that time at the computer lab. She had Lala posted by the door on the lookout for Scott, and began looking up things on the internet. Granted, it wasn't all about Uni, though she became an internet expert on electric pokémon and their brain functions within an hour. She also checked over Clay's official website, size categories on pokémon, how to get rid of morning sickness, the weather forecast, and looked up on a map where exactly Snowpoint City was. That's where Allen had disappeared to, and she was only mildly surprised to find it was in Sinnoh. It seemed like everyone was fixated on that region lately.

And then, Clay. Unika was still in a low point—she had discovered that depressive episodes could last _months_ and that did not reassure her in the least—but she didn't need her. Or Harper. She tried to tell herself she wasn't swinging the pendulum the other way, and wouldn't that be funny, an entire team of one side or the other, but all she really needed was grass pokémon.

The conveyer belts were a little less fun. Harry wasn't allowed to go on them with her, either, so she and Maria sat by the entrance. She wasn't even sure why the operative had to be there. Ree nearly faceplanted with the first jerk of the belt, distracted as she was. Right, it was a gym battle she was headed into. One she felt pretty comfortable about, but she had felt confident against Elesa initially... Were ground and flying pokémon a thing?

But she mostly ran into a bunch of sandile and palpitoad (which were rapidly becoming her favorite pokémon). And mega drain was her new favorite move, too. Whippy and Lala were oneshotting opponents with ease, and thanks to their regenerative powers, they were still at top form by the time Ree _finally_ rolled up to the leader.

Clay was significantly more intimidating than any of the gym leaders she had already seen, but his pokémon were not. Lala gracefully handled the krokorok and even Whippy looked surprised when the palpitoad was toppled with a single mega drain. The excadrill, on the other hand, took away their advantage. After some waffling, Ree let Whippy stay out to fight it.

It turned into a battle of the blades; Whippy seemingly pulled a hardened leaf out of his arm, and after honing its claws, the excadrill charged at him with its own sharp slash. Ree imagined she even heard a _clang_ as they met. As it turned out, steel was harder than plant matter and the excadrill bowled him over, nearly pinning him until he slithered out with the help of his vines. For good measure, he threw his little blade at the other pokémon.

While the excadrill was stronger and astonishingly fast, Whippy was just as fast and more maneuverable. He could make sharper turns that sent the ground pokémon running off the edge of the arena, or leap over its head with a push from his vines and tail.

"Yer really okay just sittin' there?" Clay asked as he lumbered over to Ree, who had long since sat down, content to watch the battle unfold.

"He doesn't really listen to me. You're not ordering yours around, either."

"A stubborn pokémon ain't nothin' to be ashamed of," he said wisely. "Even if yer servine is a mess of strategies."

"If he makes a mistake, he'll fix it," Ree replied, a little defensively. She eyed the gym leader as he sat down beside her with a groan. In front of them, Whippy vaulted over the excadrill again with a giggle.

"An' he ends up switchin' strategies completely," Clay said with a nod. "Sometimes, a pokémon's gotta learn to dig in their heels."

"He usually ends up playing tag like this. Maybe that's his strategy and maybe you're just mad about that."

"If ya figure out a way to help a pokémon battle in the best way they can, _that's_ when ya can call yerself a trainer. That's when ya figure out the little gimmicks, them weird angles and ways challengers come at ya. If they're always attackin' the same target, ya can figure out _how_ they will, see?"

And with that, his excadrill disappeared into the arena floor. Whippy skidded to a stop, eyes wide. It came back up directly beneath him, and while it wasn't a serious injury, it was a direct hit that he didn't have time to dodge. Ree set her mouth in a firm line as Whippy skittered around the arena.

"An' yer not the first fast pokémon we've battled," Clay finished.

Ree returned her starter and let out Lala. The whimsicott bounded into the arena, confused by the lack of opponent, until it plowed up beneath her and made her shriek. On reflex, she bounced up into the air, her stubby arms waving as she tried to get an air current going. The mine-style of the gym provided her with a lot of air to work with, so hopefully it would be enough, since there weren't any nearby windows to break.

"And you're not the first with a pokémon who'd rather hide than race," Ree echoed, perhaps smugly. Lala floated gently to the ground, and Ree recognized that she was already shedding stun spore. It wasn't nearly so one-sided when she only sporadically touched the ground, and soon the excadrill had to surface more and more frequently just to keep an eye on her. Once it got paralyzed and slowed down further, the battle was over. At least she hadn't made anything explode.

Five gym badges. She was five-eighths of the way there, and all she could dwell on were her non-grass pokémon. She didn't really like her priority shift.

Harry gave her an odd little look when she showed her the gold and brown badge, but Maria loudly suggested food and she didn't have time to add that look to the list of things she could worry over. Food turned out to be a little pasta place, and while Maria ordered wine and Ree seethed with jealousy, it was pleasant overall. Even if she threw it up not an hour later. Maria begged out after that, clearly for the sake of avoiding sick Ree again, and it wasn't like she blamed her. Sick Ree with too many things to think about was not a fun Ree to be around.

"Where would you like to go next?" Harry asked between heaving spells.

"Down south, I guess. Maybe to Undella at some point during the winter. I-I haven't thought a lot about it recently..."

"Mm," the redhead replied vaguely. Ree could only wonder at what _that_ was supposed to mean.

But Harry couldn't keep a secret to save her life, and after Ree came out from the bathroom after a dual trying-to-wash-Whippy and attempting-to-empty-her-already-empty-stomach shift, she was ambushed. Harry seized her by the shoulders, sat her down gently on the bed, and then stood in front of her. And she only fidgeted a little bit.

"R-Ree. I, um. I would like..." She reddened, then shook her head. "I think—! I mean, I would like to, uh, become a trainer again. Officially."

"...Really?" Ree asked blankly.

"Yes. Jackster and Hattie evolved, and she'll evolve again at some point, and Shady's been battling more than ever, and I've been thinking about getting another pokémon, and really, having only three badges is sort of silly, don't you think? I-I could at least get four, surely, Jackster got pretty strong when he evolved," she rambled on.

"Harry," Ree said, drawing her attention, "I think that's a great idea. That is a really, really great idea."

She blushed again, even darker. "Th-Thank you," she squeaked and hid behind her sleeves.

"All the early gyms are in the south, right?"

"Y-Yes, so they're open almost year-round..."

"So you could get another one of those, and maybe even visit Clay again, depending on the weather up here. I think that's great!" she said again with a genuine grin.

Harry's own shy smile wavered a bit behind her sleeve. "It is, but..."

"...But?"

"I, um, have to talk to my family about it. I-I'm not sure they would be very happy with me..."

"...But you have a zebstrika now! And a bigger bug! They can't force you to _not_ be a trainer—"

"I just have to talk to them!" Harry interrupted before Ree could gather much steam. "I'll explain myself, maybe show them my team now. I'm sure it will be fine if they see that I really want to do this."

"Oh. Yeah, of course it will." Her smile was only a little forced that time. But if Harry was confident in her ability to sway her family, then she could only have faith.

"So, um, that means... I would have to take a trip to see them, and I think it might be better if I go alone. I-I wouldn't want to ruin any of the plans you might have had, and we can see each other again in a couple weeks—maybe I'll even have another badge by then!"

Ree's smile froze altogether.

Harry was leaving her, too.

"Oh. Yeah. Of course," was all she could say.

-.-.-

Ree smiled woodenly as she waved Harry off at the train station. She _was_ happy for her friend, she swore she was, but she didn't particularly like getting left, either. _Am I just acting clingy because she's the closest thing I have to a trainer friend_? She thought sourly as the train pulled away from the platform. She kept waving until it was out of sight. The goodbye was better than the last time, since they would see each other again in a matter of weeks, but she still felt lonely.

Maya and Scott were trainers, and by all rights, she should have been bonding with them over her pokémon and journey. Instead, she was running from them both. Ree dragged her feet back to the hospital, where Charlotte agreed to meet her to give her a prescription for Unika. Supposedly a mild drug that would help to regulate her mood, not at all a replacement for good communication with her, and really, even if she's in a depressive episode, it's your duty as a trainer to blah blah blah. Ree knew what her duties as a trainer were. ...She thought.

Actually _giving_ the medicine to Uni turned out to be more of a fight than Elesa's gym battle. It took Whippy, two audino, and Harper cooing to get the little pill forced into her mouth. Worse, in a fit of frustration, Ree had called her a brat and she started crying. She hadn't even known tynamo could shed tears, but there they were, and the guilt made her start crying, too.

Ree left Driftveil city with Harper on her shoulder, Unika hovering above her arms, and two unruly grass pokémon already rushing off ahead into the wilderness. They headed west, despite the chill winds, just to see if maybe, _maybe_ they could make it to Chargestone Cave. There were little drifts of snow as the route curved northwest and Ree figured she was not prepared for Unovan winter just yet.

They camped close to the main path, with Ree and Whippy so close to the fire it was a wonder they didn't singe their noses. As the temperature dropped as the sun set, she could see him getting more and more sluggish. It wasn't a fun thing to watch. Lala seemed to fare a little better, but Ree knew she was affected when she sauntered over and plopped herself down in her lap for warm cuddles, squishing Unika into Ree's chest in the process. The electric pokémon squealed and sparked in protest, sending a jolt through Ree, and she quickly pulled her out. "Let's avoid electrocution tonight. Don't be a shit tonight, Lala. We're all about to get real cuddly for bed."

Lala snuggled further into Ree, almost aggressively so. Ree rolled her eyes. So Harry left her, she had Harper issues, Unika was depressed, and Lala was acting out. She turned and stared at Whippy, waiting for him to give her another problem too.

He only stared back at her with wide, innocent red eyes. Cutely.

"You're off the hook for now, but I'm watching you," Ree warned, and she was only half-joking. She was sure he'd start misbehaving in the morning when it warmed up a bit again.

And then, of course, her phone rang. Ree groaned and dug around in her coat pocket. Figured _someone_ had to fill the problem void if not her servine. It was for an unknown number with an area code she didn't recognize. Against her better judgment, she answered, "Hello?"

"Ah, yes, hello. Is this Ree Majors?"

"Yeah. Shouldn't you know that if you're calling me?"

"Do you have a younger sister?"

Her heart stuttered to a stop. "Y-Yeah, Maya. Did something happen? Who is this?"

"This is Coeur Noir Hospital, in Black City. We've been unable to reach her parents and your number was next listed in her contacts."

"Did something happen?!" Ree repeated in a voice higher than she liked.

"Yes, she appears to have gotten into some sort of... altercation. But we suspect some of her pokémon are missing, in addition to her trainer ID and several personal items. Are you able to come meet with us?"

"I. Yes. Of course." Black City, was that north? _How_ was she going to get there, anyway? "I'll be there—uh, soon. Try calling back our parents' number, though."

"We will, yes. Could you confirm her pokémon team for us on the phone now, if you know them?"

"Uh, yeah." Ree was already on her feet, one arm under Lala, and began kicking dirt onto their fire, to Whippy's dismay. "Serperior, leavanny, uh, shit, maractus, sawsbuck, that green psychic thing..." What was the name of it? She dropped Lala on her sleeping back and started shoving items back into her backpack. "Reuniclus, or something like that. And then another grass pokémon, lilligant or some shit? She had a full team—"

"Ah." The silence on the other line was deafening. She paused in her packing. "Thank you. We will discuss this further once you arrive here, and we will keep trying to reach your parents."

"Can I get a ride there? This is an emergency, right?" Ree asked desperately.

"...It is, but without her ID or a pokédex on her, we can't prove you're related."

"I'm her _sister_!"

"All we have is a cell phone list. We just can't make that call until we can positively identify her again."

"Maya Blair Majors, sixteen, born in Castelia City on April—"

"Do you know her trainer ID number?"

"...No."

"I'm sorry, then. You can help us pull up your records when you get here. If it's any consolation, her wounds are not severe—"

She hung up on them and hit the first number on her contacts. "Allen, I need—" She could hear Maria's sigh on the other end. "...Maria, I have an emergency."

"What? Hold on, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but I need a ride."

"...I thought you said this was an emergency."

"It _is_! My sister's in the goddamned hospital in Black City and I don't even know what for! I'm supposed to be over there, like, _now_!"

"...Ree, I can't just teleport you anywhere. That's illegal. _Very_ illegal."

"I'm a day out from Driftveil and flying would take too long! It sounded like—like I had to identify her team, or something, a-and I don't know if I can—"

"Calm down. I'm sorry, but I can't teleport you."

"Then I'll call emergency services—"

"And they'll toss you in jail if it's not immediately life-threatening or appearing so to your or your immediate team," Maria recited unhelpfully. "It's a bitch, I don't recommend it. Look, I know this is stressful—"

"Allen would do it!"

"...I'm not Allen," she said with a calm tone that made Ree even madder.

"_Please_, Maria. Please. This is my sister, my little sister, in a hospital across the country with some of her pokémon team missing. They can't reach our parents, I was the only one they could get."

"...You're immediate family, right? Maybe emergency services would cut you some slack," Maria said after a beat.

"Already tried that, since her ID is missing they won't give it to me. Please, please, please, I'll never ask this of you or Allen or any UFO ever again, cross my heart and hope to die. I won't tell anyone and no one has to know."

Maria sighed again. "Tranjero isn't mine, and he isn't Allen's. If he gets asked by anyone I'm pretty sure he'll rat us out without guilt."

"I'll—do whatever. I'll take the blame if it comes to that."

"...Holy shit, _fine_, and you are fucking _lucky_ you got me and not some priss as a substitute. And if this gets out, I'm blaming you and Allen. Hold on, I'm coming to get you."

So Ree sat and waited in a pile of her stuff.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Ree really needs to stop challenging the universe to give her more problems. Maya's missing half her team, and Ree has to piece together _another_ mystery and track down her little sister's pokémon. Maria finds out she really wasn't prepared for dealing with Ree, Maya's back in the picture, and Black City doesn't agree with Ree one bit. But it's better than her sister pestering her to visit Scott, isn't it? Well, it looks like she's getting dragged back to Castelia either way... And maybe the Digital Skitty won't take four months to update this time. All this, and more, next time! On Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey!


	32. Of Looking Out For Maya

Ree shuffled down the aisle in the line. It was going slow enough to give her plenty of time to look around the building. It was sort of gray and squat but they had certainly brightened up the place with their own personal charm. There were a few paintings, and a couple signs, and even something like an etching up at a makeshift altar. Sure, the paintings depicted some sort of foreign god-thing stomping humans into blood, but she was into the whole unmerciful god thing, anyway.

Her robe itched. Maybe the unmerciful god thing was better in fiction than real life. She dug around in her jeans under the white sheet and pulled out her phone, tapping out a text to Scott. "_dude I think I joined a cult!_"

The man behind her gave her a scathing look for texting in the line. She pulled her best innocent face and hid her phone once more. This had started out so well, too; she had only followed a sign talking about a free spaghetti dinner, and then she had been talking to a very kind old lady, and then a little girl had given her a gold and white flower crown and asked her to come meet her father and she was now getting the feeling that she had meant Father (in the religious sense) because this looked like something out of the beginning of a horror film, right before they summoned a demon and everything was bathed in blood.

The spaghetti had been good, at least.

Her phone buzzed against her thigh—even Ree Majors was self-aware enough not to let her ringtone flood those hallowed halls—and she discreetly read her boyfriend's panic response. "_holy fuck are you serious? where are you_"

Ree wasn't a hundred percent sure where she was. She suddenly felt a little worse about her predicament. "_Some place downtown I think it was a white square building next to a friendly building with a sign for spaghetti_"

"_hold on_" The reply was quicker the second time. But she was nearing the front of the line, and she could see now that some sort of baptism awaited her. On the flip-side, it looked like the followers were all getting little gold pieces of jewelry after getting dunked.

Jewelry probably wasn't worth whatever she had inadvertently signed up for. Murmuring apologies, she backed out of the line, trying to be as subtle about it as possible. She wasn't very. She received several dirty looks, and one hissed curse, but she wasn't afraid until she found a man and a woman physically in the way of the exit.

"Uh, I just wanted some fresh air," Ree said awkwardly, gesturing to the doors.

"You were almost done."

"I'm really not feeling well."

"That's the feeling of your sins weighing you down, trying to stop you from seeking salvation of the Lord."

That was definitely not what she had signed up for. Ree shrugged off her robe, holding it out for them. "Look, dude, I just wanted some food. I am not willing to join some sort of... group like this. My sins are probably a little too bad for your thing to wash away, so I'll just save us all the embarrassment and leave now," she said, perfectly reasonable.

For one horrible moment, the woman was silent, and she thought she was about to be sacrificed or something. But then, with a disgusted scowl, she said, "We cannot save everyone. We can only save who we can." And she stepped aside, allowing Ree to leave without incident.

She heaved a sigh of relief once she was back out in the sunshine. That probably could have gone badly. She turned and walked quickly away, unable to help glances back over her shoulder to make sure she hadn't been followed. One last peek after turning a corner, and Ree finally felt okay again—until someone slammed into her and they both stumbled into the wall beside them. She just about kicked him, but she realized it was just Scott hugging her tightly, his stoutland trotting up behind him.

Ree smiled into his shoulder and hugged him back. What a knight in shining armor.

"Don't you ever join a cult again," Scott grumbled in clearly fake anger.

"Deal," she replied and put the flower crown on his head instead. Two months later she joined another cult.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty-Two**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Looking Out For Maya

-.-.-

Ree and Maria, arm in arm, swept into Coeur Noir Hospital with an irate elgyem. One nurse squawked and jumped and dropped a tray full of pokeballs, his two audino scrambled to catch them all, and the receptionist at the desk choked on her water. Coughing, she said, "E-Excuse me, but we did not have any scheduled—"

"UFO-sanctioned emergency," Maria cut in smoothly and Tranjero gave a little twitch. Ree glanced down at him but he didn't return the look. "Do you have a girl you need help identifying?"

"Her name is Maya Majors," Ree said in annoyance. With the nurse and the receptionist's eyes on her, she added, "I'm her sister."

That was enough to stop them from questioning how she got there with a UFO at least. Maria kept her cool, businesslike facade until they reached the elevator, but then sagged against the wall with a groan. "This is pretty fucked up, girl."

"They didn't question anything."

"There will be paperwork. Not that I plan on sticking around to do it, but if this breaks, you are screwed. _I'm_ screwed."

"I thought you were going to blame it on Allen." Ree couldn't help but glance down at the elgyem again. This time, he glared right back up at her. Not reassuring.

"...Like I could blame that saint of a man. Besides, he and Loar won't hesitate on ratting me out since they have solid alibis in Sinnoh. Lenore would probably throw me under the bus, too. How are you going to tell her you're suddenly over here?"

The elevator dinged and Maria worked up another unaffected frown. Ree's heart rose in her throat. "Lenore is the last thing on my mind right now," she replied honestly, and without waiting, darted down the hall. Third room on the left, she'd been told, and sure enough, the figure in the bed was undoubtedly her sister. She seemed to be sleeping, or dozing, and from what she could see, she had a couple of bandages peeking out from beneath her blanket.

Ree hardly batted an eye when the inevitable doctor appeared to ask, "What are you doing in here?"

"Ree Majors, I got a call about her. This is my sister." Her throat constricted just saying it. _That_ was her sister, asleep or unconscious or sedated, lying injured in a hospital bed. That was her little sister.

"Oh." This didn't seem to be the same person she had spoken to on the phone, so she followed him out while they tracked down someone who knew what exactly was going on. Maria must have said something to someone, because it didn't take long to find the same voice as the one on the phone, and the operative and the elgyem had disappeared.

Ree was getting tired of the clinical little office rooms. She was first asked for her own trainer ID card, and then some sort of proof that she and Maya were related (despite their clear resemblance that she pointed out more than once). After much bickering, they eventually managed to find Maya's records in some sort of database and work backwards from there. And then, she was asked to confirm Maya's team.

She was missing three of her pokémon. They had only found three with her: Lilith and Talia were uninjured and had evidently been returned the entire time, and Mordecai had a sprained ankle and some bruising and according to the sawsbuck, only out towards the end of some sort of fight. Bo, Edgar, and Zara were all missing, and none of her remaining pokémon knew why.

The only spot of good news—comparatively—was that they had finally gotten through to Ree's parents. They had been out, cell phones off, and her mother was nearly hysterical when she realized she had been missing calls about her own youngest child. Ree tried to comfort her, but they knew so little, and it was so late, they thought it best to let Maya sleep through the night, if she would.

Ree knew she wouldn't sleep a wink. She resigned herself to an uncomfortable night in a chair, but that didn't last long. She took to pacing, then to wandering the halls, then, finally, to crying in the bathroom. She cried herself hoarse and then cried some more. It was hormones, she knew and told herself, but Maya was hurt and had been robbed and _three of her pokemon—_

Mitzi had nearly destroyed Ree. She couldn't comprehend three of them, at once, and after being with Maya for so much longer. And Bo, _Bo_, her starter... Bo was her starter and Edgar was her psychic and Zara had been a gift...

She had dialed Scott's number without realizing it. "Mmm, 'ello?" came his sleepy voice, and she almost started crying all over again at the well of emotion that brought up. Instead, she sniffled, and that seemed to have been enough. He must have checked his phone, because he asked, "Ree...? Are you okay? What's going on?"

"Sorry, what time is it?" She peeked at her screen and found it just after two.

"Just past one here. What happened?" He sounded marginally more awake, and she did feel some small sense of guilt for waking him, but more than that, she felt overwhelming relief.

"Something just... Can you talk to me for a little while?"

He was silent for a moment. She was worried he had finally given up on her, didn't want to be with her any more—as if she had let him near her for the past couple months—but then he just yawned. "We got a gig in Castelia. Opener for Damned Ditto, can you believe it?"

"No way."

"Yeah way. Carly's running us ragged practicing though... We're only going to play so many songs, but she seems to want to do the whole show ourselves."

"That's how she always is." Talking about normal things could almost make her forget about Maya—and why she had left in the first place. She felt a little ill just remembering that.

"...I could get you some tickets for the show," Scott said with another loud yawn, "if you wanted to come." He always got her tickets to anywhere he played. And she never missed it.

But she couldn't see him. Baggy clothes could cover, but she was gaining more and more weight every day, and what about mood swings? What if she threw up on him? What if she couldn't help it and wanted to sleep with him? He would definitely notice the bump. And she knew, just seeing him would make all her secrets tumble out like she was getting paid to come clean. She couldn't keep it from him in person; this was her last defense.

And she couldn't tell him that.

So she took the coward's way out.

"Scott, it's Maya." She didn't even have to force the break in her voice. "She was... attacked, or something. She's in the hospital. I-I don't know what happened, but I just..."

"Is she okay?"

"I—I think so. I don't know. She has some bruises and she was roughed up, but she's not in any danger now, but she only has half her team with her. I-I know I'm not a big hotshot trainer like you two, but I've been training for—for a little while now, and I love my pokémon—and I just can't imagine what she's going to feel when she wakes up. I can't. And I don't know how I can fix this."

"Ree, calm down," he said soothingly, but she couldn't. She wasn't sure if it was panic or some sort of mood swing or her own hysterical spell, but her heart hammered in her chest and her stomach churned. "You said so yourself, Maya is fine right now. Are you in a hospital?"

She nodded and made some little noise of agreement.

"There are doctors, they'll patch her up. And I'm sure—no, I'm _positive_ they will figure out what happened to her pokémon. Shit happens like this, but it can be fixed, okay?"

"Okay," she grumbled, but didn't feel much better. Doctors could tend to her injuries and the police or the UFOs could find her pokémon if they had been stolen. _But what can _I_ do?_ she thought bitterly.

"What are you doing right now?"

"Crying in a public bathroom at two in the fuckin' morning like the big, strong trainer I am."

He was silent for a beat. "Is there... anyone there for you?"

She sniffled again and wiped her nose on her wrist. "I came here alone to—for Maya. My friends are off doing their own things, really."

"...I could be there for you. If nothing else, my team is strong enough to pose a serious threat to anyone they suspect of doing this to her."

She thought a moment, about what Allen had told her about the badges. Scott had five. Did he actually _know_ he was allowed to bend the rules, or was he just making threats on her behalf? "...I'm sorry, I don't want to get into this right now. Shit, you must think I'm the biggest douchebag in the world, Scottie," she groaned into her arms, burying her face in them.

"Maybe not the biggest," he replied mildly. "You'd go down in rank if you told me what was going on with you."

"Are you actually mad at me?"

"...No," he said and sighed.

"It's just... personal stuff. And right now, my team is having all sorts of issues... You wouldn't want to see us, anyway. We're a hot mess."

"I _would_ like to see my girlfriend, the pokémon trainer. And my girlfriend's team. I bet they're wonderful pokémon. And I hope they're worth it, since they've been cock-blocking me for the past three months."

She snorted back an ugly laugh. "Oh, they're worth it. How do you think _I_ feel? I left my toy at home when I was packing."

"You could always swing by for the concert," he said innocently.

She was going to have some sort of smart, snappy response for him, but unfortunately, her stomach had other plans. She hadn't calmed down from the panic, and evidently, it had had enough; she was supremely grateful she was already in the bathroom. Ree dropped the phone and heaved into the toilet.

She only threw up once, and she felt momentarily depressed that she was glad it was _only_ once, and of course Scott had heard her drop the phone and judging from his alarmed noises, probably the vomiting sounds too. Without preamble, she spat into the bowl and shoved the phone between her ear and shoulder. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Are you okay?!"

Yes, he had definitely heard her get sick. She flushed and tried to coordinate keeping her phone in place and washing her hands. "Yeah, I just... It must be the stress."

"Do you have anywhere to sleep tonight?"

"I'm staying at the hospital with Maya," she replied vaguely.

"Will you promise me you'll at least _try_ to get some sleep? You can still be there for her and nap a bit."

Empty stomach, frayed nerves, and a surprisingly normal conversation with her boyfriend. Oh yeah, Ree could sleep. Too bad she still felt so horrifically wired whenever she thought of Maya. Mayamayamaya—the thing she couldn't fix. Her stomach flipped again at the thought.

"Yeah, I'll shut my eyes for a bit," Ree lied. If the police or UFOs turned up any leads, she could go after it with a bat and her team—

"I'm _serious_," Scott interrupted. "At least try. For me?"

She had done very little for him lately. She couldn't keep turning him down. "...Yeah, I'll try. For you."

"Thank you. Do you want me to stay on the phone while you fall asleep?"

"I'll be fine. Go back to sleep, Scottie."

"...Goodnight, Ree. Love you."

"Love you too. ...And thanks."

"No problem," he said, and there was a note of warmth in his voice. It made her smile, just a bit, as she sagged back down into the chair in Maya's room. First, a nap, then, revenge on the bastard who did that to her sister. It was a better plan than she normally came up with.

-.-.-

Ree awoke to something warm crawling onto her lap. Thinking it was Whippy, she flopped her arms over the something, which then began noisily crying. That, combined with the memory that her reptile pokémon wasn't warm, made her crack open one eye. Predawn light illuminated her crying sister.

"Where's Bo," Maya whispered against her shirt. "I-I need to see him."

"We didn't find him with you." Ree wrapped her arms around her, setting her cheek on her curly hair. "Can you tell us what happened?"

"He—He wasn't—?" Maya's breath caught and instead of crying louder, she only began to hyperventilate. Ree tried to move her, but she stubbornly clung to her, so she had no choice but to just rub her back.

"Shh, it'll be okay. We just need to know what happened, then we can track down who did this and..." And kill them. "And get your pokémon back."

Between shuddering gasps, Maya bit out, "He-He was l-le-left there o-overnight?!"

Her hand stilled on her back and her blood ran cold. "...Had Bo been in the area where you were picked up?"

She nodded against her chest, or maybe she was still just shaking so badly, but that was enough for Ree. Instead of fighting her, she just scooped Maya up in her arms and marched out to the desk. The sleepy nurse gave a start at a particularly harsh gasp from the younger Majors sister, and without anything else to do, Ree set Maya on the counter.

"She's hyperventilating, and I don't really know how to help that. Can you help calm her down and get some answers? I need to talk to your emergency teleport staff or whatever they're called."

"R-Ree—"

She cupped her face in her hands before she could begin another panic. "I will be _right back_, alright? I will be back, and I will bring you Bo."

It was probably only that promise that kept Maya sitting there instead of racing after her. It took a bit of asking and exploring and two phone calls, but Ree found someone who could point her towards the emergency worker who had found Maya. Very angry at being woken up so early, with a matching annoyed beheeyem, she tried her damnedest to remain calm as she explained that they likely had left at least one of Maya's pokémon behind.

"Probably injured, but probably in the same area. When you found her, what all was with her?" Ree asked, arms crossed.

"An injured and mad sawsbuck. It took awhile to get to her, since her call had gotten cut short, but it was just her and the sawsbuck in the immediate area. No sign of any attacker or any other pokémon," he replied sourly.

"Well, she says her serperior is still back there. So let's get going."

"Do you have any proof?"

"She's the trainer, and she said her starter was still back there. Let's _go_."

It took a bit more paperwork to actually get out there, but she managed it. It hadn't occurred to her that she wouldn't be able to go along, but thankfully, neither the worker nor the psychic seemed keen on meeting a potentially injured and desperate serperior that was panicking over its trainer. They appeared in a sparsely wooded area without a path nearby, which was strange. While a talented trainer, she hadn't known Maya to randomly go cavorting through the forest.

"What were her other pokémon?"

"Reuniclus and maractus." Ree eyed them as the worker knelt down beside the beheeyem, and the psychic's eyes glowed briefly.

"Nothing but small, wild pokémon around here. Is it possible they would have been separated or moving?"

"Maybe, probably? I don't know. Can I release my pokémon? They can help search."

The worker paused, but nodded after a look from the pokémon beside him. "Keep an eye on them, but I suppose they'll know what to look for as well as either of us."

She let out Harper and Lala, instructing them both to look for a serperior (or either of the others) in the area. As she trudged through the foliage, Ree cursed herself for not asking Maya about the other two. Were they only looking for Bo, or could Edgar or Zara be there, too? But the thought of making her sister talk while she had been crying so hard...

If they had to make two trips, then so be it. Starter first.

"See anything up there?" Ree called up to her tranquill.

"Tran," she tweeted back. Harper swooped low, looking irritated as she landed on Ree's shoulder. "Tranquill, tran-quill-tran."

While not a particularly dense forest, the treetops were close enough together to prevent a lot of aerial searching, she supposed. And the dawn light was hardly helping matters. "Just... keep looking. For me. Please?"

Harper pressed her cheek up against Ree's temple, then flapped back into the air.

It was not any of the pokémon, not even the psychic, who eventually found Bo, but Ree herself. She literally stumbled over the tip of his tail, since it blended in so well with the greenery all around, but caught herself with a tree branch.

As Ree stared, horror-struck, a pair of petilil fled from him, squealing and covered in red. He had been slashed open several times, and scales and skin were charred and blackened along over parts of his body. He was almost bisected in one place. Dried blood and broken bits of branches and trees were scattered all around. And he was, very obviously, dead.

She leaned over and vomited into a bush. Most of it was stomach acid. Lala bounded up as she heaved again, and then went very still when she saw what had distressed her trainer.

"Did you—holy hell. Did you know it was dead?"

"Did I know if my little sister's starter was dead?! Do you fucking think so?" Ree snarled back.

The worker set his mouth in a grim line and gingerly stepped forward, taking a camera out of his backpack. "Did you touch anything?"

"No, I... just got here." She was happy to back away, nudging Lala back as well. The whimsicott still stared at the corpse. Harper flapped down through the branches overhead, giving a cut-off squawk at the sight before them. "C'mere," Ree whispered, catching her out of the air, pressing her against her chest.

Pictures were taken and Ree continued making minute movements away from it. Harper did not fight her hold, though it had to have been uncomfortable for her, and Lala did not move at all. "...You have its pokeball?" the worker asked after seeming satisfied with his collection of photographic evidence.

"No, I..." _I hadn't thought that far ahead. I'd thought Bo would come with us fine_, she thought, but the words did not make it to her lips.

He sighed but didn't press her. He held out his hand for Ree, and she returned her two pokémon as her eyes welled up again. The worker knelt down and placed his gloved hand on the tip of Bo's snout. Ree felt a surge of gratitude over the fact that he didn't just poke him with his foot or something.

A nurse met them back at the hospital and wordlessly held out a pokeball. Ree was the one who took it and returned Bo. "Did you find any others?"

"No, just the serperior. Did you ask her where her other ones are?" the worker replied in an equally low tone. Ree continued staring at the pokeball in her hands.

"Her reuniclus was stolen—that's why she was separated from her serperior, she said. She's given a description of her attacker." The nurse lowered her voice even further and added, "It sounds like it might have been Antoine."

"I need to bring this to my sister," Ree interrupted and held up the pokeball. Let them sort through the details and questions until they had something concrete for her to go after. Until then, Maya came first.

Maya was back in her bed, sipping at a glass of juice while a doctor spoke to her about something concerning grief and stress. She cut herself off with a strangled noise as Ree waltzed right in and dropped the pokeball on her lap.

"...Thank you," she replied hollowly and that was all the confirmation she needed; Maya had known that Bo had been dead. Maya set her glass down and delicately picked the ball up with trembling hands.

"I'll be back to visit with you again when the nurse brings you lunch," the doctor said awkwardly and bowed out.

"They said they didn't find any sign of the man or Edgar," Maya said. Ree sat back down in the guest chair. "And the UFO I spoke to seems to think it's a specific pokémon hunter. He's apparently some big shot. He'd have to be, to..." To get the drop on her.

Ree nodded but didn't trust her voice.

"I mean, that's good, right? Th-They think they know who did it, after all, they know who it is... And Edgar is strong, so strong, he won't be easy to control. He knows how to break pokeballs, did you know that? He once broke T-Talia's when he got into a fight with her..."

"I'm sure—" She swallowed to clear her throat. "...I'm sure he'll make a break for it soon. He's got to have a psychic lock on you, right? He'll be able to find you again."

"Yeah, you're right," Maya said in a squeak that announced her tears' return. She pressed the pokeball to her forehead, shoulders shaking with the attempt to keep herself quiet. "W-We were on our way back west, we were going to find you...! And now, m-my badges, my ID, they're gone!"

"Maya, it was just a card. They're already printing you another. And badges are just shiny little things..." Shiny little things that meant a hell of a lot. Her badge count would be on her trainer record, but she wasn't sure they would physically replace the badges that had been stolen.

"I got all eight badges," Maya said and looked up at her sister. She smiled weakly. "I-I got the eighth one finally, and I was going to come find you, to show you. And see why you've been acting s-so strange, and now, and now _this_ happened...!"

She didn't know what to say to that. She had been confused as to why Maya had been so far east, and suspicious as to why she hadn't been after her like Scott had been. So she had finally gotten that last badge, only to have her team crippled. Bo had been her strongest pokémon, and she was pretty sure Edgar had been a close second. And now, she only had...

"Maya, what about Zara? You said only Edgar was stolen. And Bo..." And Bo was gone, too.

The younger girl stared at her, brows drawn together beneath her bangs in confusion. Ree stared back, just as lost. But then, even more alarmingly, Maya broke out into a high-pitched laugh. "Zara! Oh my god, Zara is... I still have Zara."

"What? She wasn't with you. Are you okay?"

"She's been sick, so I left her back in the Undella pokémon center, and they were going to transfer her to me when I reached Black City or Nimbasa. I-I still have Zara." It was difficult to tell if she was still laughing or had dissolved into sobbing. Ree was worried she would start hyperventilating again, but with a wail that was definitely half sob, Maya locked the pokeball and threw it away from her. It bounced to the floor and rolled under the bed.

-.-.-

_Hey, look. I know what you're going through. I went through it, too. My pokémon was pregnant. We reached her too late. I know what it's like to have a dead pokémon. You can stop staring at your urn and look, here's mine. We can grieve together._

Ree knew about grief. She did not know about sharing grief.

It seemed callous to try to impede on Maya's sorrow. She had lost her _starter_, after all. They had been together for years, and presumably, he had been killed in front of her. Maya wouldn't talk about it. And then another one of her pokémon had been stolen. Ree's pain couldn't compare to that, and she didn't _want_ to compare it, but she felt like she was going to vomit out all of her grief if she didn't say _something_.

But she couldn't say something. Maya had shut down. She didn't want to break that almost-peace by bringing it back up.

She also didn't want to look at her own pokémon. She hadn't spoken to Lala or Harper about what they had seen, she couldn't even begin to think about Unika's problems, and she was absolutely _terrified_ to let Whippy out near her sister. She was worried any one of her pokémon would trigger her sister into another state of uncontrollable grief like she'd seen in the hospital, but seeing a servine would definitely not be any good for her.

But, as they wandered around Black City just to get some somewhat fresh air, they repeatedly got challenged to battles. Maya's empty stare was enough to warn off some, and Ree's snarling did the rest. But what about wild pokémon? What about people who wouldn't take no for an answer? She couldn't let out her own pokémon to battle, not in front of Maya, but she couldn't very well expect her sister to battle with half a team. Even if she was good, that would be just cruel.

She had been throwing up more and more, and she had the sinking feeling that it wasn't just from morning sickness. Maya had been discharged from the hospital, and Mordecai's treatment was minor and blessedly fast, so they were staying at the pokémon center. They were living in the same room together, and Maya didn't say anything about Ree's frequent trips to the bathroom. She wasn't sure if she hoped her sister was so out of it she was oblivious, or if Maya had simply concluded it was all from stress.

But after two solid days of throwing up stomach acid and what little food she could choke down, even Ree Majors had to throw in the towel. She called up Lenore. The baby doctor agreed at once to come see Ree, confirming that it was likely stress but she should still be checked out, but paused when she learned that Ree was in Black City. "...And how did you get all the way over there so quickly?" Lenore asked.

"I told you, my sister was in trouble," Ree answered dully. She couldn't even muster up the energy to be defensive.

"You got a teleport?"

"...Well, she is my sister. That's immediate family."

She could tell Lenore didn't buy it, but she didn't say anything more about it. Instead, she instructed Ree to meet her in the pokémon center lobby at two, giving Ree a little less than half an hour to wait by the toilet. If Maya had heard her phone call, she still didn't say anything.

She wanted to seize her sister by the shoulders and shake her, but she knew that wouldn't do any good for either of them. But the feeling remained. Anything to get her to react again.

She had to face her pokémon eventually. She wasn't sure what Maya's pokémon had been told, if anything. To her knowledge, they hadn't seen their trainer since it all happened. Or before, in the case of Lilith, Talia, and Zara. They had called the Undella center to confirm Zara was still there, and the maractus was doing better but still not completely over whatever she had, and Ree had had to make the judgment call to keep her there. At first, she had thought that having another pokémon near Maya would comfort her, except her sister refused to have to do anything with them.

Ree laid her cheek on her arm and dozed. Her stomach was empty, and for the moment, settled. If only her mind and emotions could do the same thing. Just for a little while.

She found herself scrolling through her contacts list for Scott's name. Except then her phone rang, cutting across her contacts, making her jump and drop it. Into the toilet.

At least she had flushed. Swearing, Ree swiped it out, grateful it was waterproof, and quickly rinsed it and her hands. Whoever it was had hung up, but before she could see who the missed call was from, it rang again.

'_Dad Cell_' was on the screen.

Suddenly feeling sick again, Ree placed it against her ear and mumbled, "H-Hello?"

"We've been trying to call Maya—why is her phone off?"

"I guess it's charging?" she lied.

"Are you two staying in the pokémon center now?"

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"We're in a taxi right now, on the way. Yes, to the pokémon center, please. Okay, we're on our way, what room number are you in?"

Ree's heart leapt up into her throat. "...Thirty-nine."

"We'll be there shortly, see you soon."

It was good that her parents were finally coming, she told herself. They were adults, adults who knew Maya and her team and could _help_. They could soothe her grief and get her talking again, and hopefully help her deal with her remaining pokémon. They could save her from struggling not to scream about Mitzi whenever she saw Maya.

So it was good that they were coming. Good for Maya. Ree knew what she had to do.

It was a good thing they were on the ground floor, since she didn't want to pull the sheets from their bed while Maya was still napping in it. Ree flopped out of the window, glad to find herself in an alley, and then turned around the corner of the building to walk straight into Lenore and Maria.

Lenore crossed her arms. "Going somewhere?"

"Shit, woman, you almost gave me a heart attack," Ree hissed at her.

"I thought we were meeting in the lobby."

"Look, uh, can we do this somewhere else?" She craned her head to try to see over the taller woman. "I'm trying to avoid someone."

Maria rolled her eyes and Lenore sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "_Who_, this time, Ree? Please tell me it's not your sister."

"It's my parents." At that, Lenore dropped a bit of gruffness, and they agreed to have the check-up at the hospital instead of pokémon center. Ree felt jittery the entire cab ride—it was not a fun feeling when her body felt so utterly exhausted by lack of calories and nutrients. By that point, Allen probably would have given her two candy bars and a bottle of water, but Maria just stared moodily out the window. She had to wonder if Lenore had questioned her about Ree's sudden appearance in Black City.

Lenore seemed unusually gentle during Ree's check-up. She didn't actually need a full one just yet, but with all of the stress, she didn't complain. Maria begged out as early on as she could. Ree didn't blame her for it. "Did something happen between you and Maria?" Lenore asked coolly as she carefully prodded Ree's stomach. "From what Allen had said, it seemed like you two got along well."

"I guess not that well."

"Hm."

Ree was finally given a juice box and some vitamins to ingest under her doctor's watchful eye. She had almost gotten used to being perpetually hungry.

"It does seem to be the stress of all this, nothing like a cold or virus. The baby's heartbeat is still strong, but you can't keep throwing up. I want you to continue taking one prenatal a day, but two trainer vitamins for the next week to help get you over this little bump. I'll also give you some non-prescription medicine to help keep your stomach settled, but there's no easy fix for this, I'm afraid. Just try to keep down as much as you can."

"Alright." She had been afraid of that. But at least it was something.

"I know Maria is the one who brought you here."

Ree choked on her juice box.

As she coughed, Lenore continued, "I have no idea how you managed to convince her to take you, and I understand your drive, but do you _realize_ how illegal that was?"

"...Kind of," she replied sullenly.

"Having Allen with you is already bending a few rules. It's only as a personal favor to me, and because of his willingness, that he was allowed to do this at all. And the only reason I'm not reporting you both is because it would only backfire on him."

"I had to get to Maya."

"Your sister was not in immediate danger."

"She needed my help."

"You put both Allen and Maria's jobs on the line. Allen's without his knowledge." Before Ree could offer another retort, Lenore gave her a sharp look, and told her, "You have done a _lot_ of reckless things in the short time I've known you. This entire journey of yours is incredibly reckless. But the system forgave you, and will continue to forgive you, because that's the type of world we live in right now—and I am downright terrified of how that will shape you as a person. For your sake as well as the baby's, I do hope you gain a sense of responsibility, and fast. Before this hurts someone and you can't take it back."

"Because I can take back Mitzi. Or Harper. Or Scott or Tori or Kev or _Maya_, right?" Ree growled back. Lenore was right, of course, she was stupidly right and that hurt Ree.

Lenore gave her a look—a sort of look that Ree couldn't decipher or challenge—and waved her out of the examination room. Red-faced, Ree pulled her shirt back on and stormed out. The doctor was always so snippy, so content up on her high ponyta, and she took solace in her anger as she stomped out of the hospital. At least she was feeling something other than sorrow and helplessness.

She went straight to the nearest restaurant and ordered lunch. She ought to let her pokémon out, feed them, talk with them, especially since Maya was still at the center, but she couldn't bring herself to. She just wanted to angrily eat her feelings and then avoid the pokémon center until her parents were done leaving her equally angry voice mails.

Maybe she should face them, try to help them help Maya. Confide some of her pain in them. Maybe she should try to be a responsible adult for five minutes.

And maybe she should have picked up the stomach-settling medicine Lenore suggested before shoving her face full of food. She kept it in her stomach through sheer force of will, stumbling right back to the hospital to pick up more prenatal vitamins as well as the new stuff, and resigned herself to wandering around the city until she either had some sort of breakdown or her parents left.

She was challenged to more than one battle, but she just chased off the would-be opponents with scary looks. At least looking like a sleep-deprived, sick, tall, angry girl had its perks. To try to cheer herself up—when in reality it was more of an attempt to keep her peace of mind—she went to an athletic store and bought yet another Sophia. She had never gotten poor, short-lived Sophia II back from that warehouse, something that Allen had clearly been grateful for. But he wasn't there, which gave her free reign.

Yes, freedom was an aluminum bat. She _was_ being responsible—she was making sure she was armed for self-defense, she had come to her sister in her time of need, she had gone and got the fucking body of her starter. How wasn't that responsible? She was free to be responsible, on her own terms.

Ree paid for Sophia III and barely made it out of the store before she started crying. She missed Allen, and Harry, and even Tori. But most of all, she missed a happy Maya and a not-fed-up-with-her Scott. "Fucking hormones," she swore to herself, swinging the bat back and forth down the street, keeping other trainers well away from her. Did normal trainers have this much trouble with feelings? How much of it was the thing growing in her belly?

She successfully avoided her parents and her many phone messages for most of the evening. She had to admit, she felt better when she kept lunch and dinner in her, and when she found a park about sundown, she even had the courage to release her team.

They didn't get much talking done, however, since Ree mostly just hugged Whippy and cried a lot. Harper spoke to Unika and at one point got into a small discussion with Lala, so she assumed the tranquill was saying something about what happened. She shouldn't have forced her pokémon to explain it, but she would talk to them once the very sight of a servine didn't make her cry.

It was all depressingly routine. Ree cried and couldn't talk about it, her pokémon were nice and tried to comfort her and hide their confusion, and she avoided the people who cared about her. "I really need to work on my coping techniques, huh?" she asked through her sniffles.

"Vine?" Whippy asked.

"Jeez, you're so cold." It _was_ November, and it was getting dark. She had a jacket on, but he was a reptile, and a grass one to boot. Glancing over, she found Lala curled into her fluff, watching their hugging with a hooded expression. Harper and Unika were nearby, flying circles over a pond. "Didn't Harry make a scarf for you?"

"Ser!" He wiggled around in her arms and dove into her backpack. He came back up triumphantly with a striped scarf with alternating gray tones. Ree had seen Harry working on it more than once, but she hadn't made the connection. Whippy wound it around himself and settled back into his trainer's lap, unaware of how she was staring at the colors.

"...That's what you chose for yourself?"

"Ser. Servine?"

"...Okay," Ree replied and she was suddenly feeling tired and sad again, but for different, more familiar reasons. Her phone rang in her pocket, but it wasn't the ringtone for her parents. It was for Maya's phone. She pulled it out to stare at it, wondering if her parents had taken to sneakier measures, or if something was actually up with Maya.

But the potential need of her sister outweighed any risks her parents posed.

"Hello?"

"Ree, where are you?" Maya asked, and she sounded impatient. Impatient was normal; impatient was good.

"Out. In a park right now. What's up?" she asked casually in return.

"Come on, Mordecai," she heard Maya say and it took a moment to process.

"Wait—_shit_! No, I'm fine out here!" She scrambled to her feet, Whippy under one arm, and gestured for Lala to follow. "I just want some alone time, you know, give you some time with dad and mom—I don't need to see them!"

White noise had taken over Maya's end. There was a rhythmic clattering, like hooves, and Ree ran towards the pond, flailing her arms to get Harper and Unika's attention.

"I _don't_ want to see them! Please, Maya, let me do this, just for now!" Ree begged into the phone, but she wasn't sure if her sister could still hear her or not. She balanced Whippy on her hip while she dug around in her pocket to return Lala, and then Unika. She pointed up at the sky and Harper took off like a shot.

After a beat, and her eyes felt suspiciously watery again, she returned Whippy, too. As much as she wanted his company, if Maya caught up with her...

She hung up on her sister and ran for the nearest edge of the park. If that's what her sister was going to use as a marker, she had to abandon ship as fast as possible. She hoped she was hearing things, but she could almost imagine the thunderous hoofbeats catching up to her. Two more people tried to get her attention for battles, but she shoved past them, finally breaking back into the buildings and concrete. Harper swooped back into her peripheral. "Quill!"

She definitely was not imagining that noise. She whipped her head around, looking for an easy building to duck into, but it was a mostly residential area. Breaking and entering wasn't on her bucket list (any more), but with Maya on her tail, she had little choice. Ree vaulted over the nearest fence—just to get caught by the back of the jacket by a sawsbuck's teeth.

Ree thumped back to the ground. Mordecai snorted down the back of her neck.

"You owe me for a new backpack," Maya said severely and something hit her head.

Ree pulled a bright pink and orange backpack down. It seemed to be already full of things, judging on how heavy it was. Opening it only served to confuse her further—those were _her_ things.

"Is all my stuff in here?"

"All the stuff you didn't already grab when you ditched me," Maya said and she had a right to sound so accusatory. ...Right?

"Wait, you should be with the parental units. _Why_ aren't you with them?" She twisted around and Mordecai spat her jacket out, stepping backwards. A part of her heart soared to see Maya with him so casually, but another part of it sank, knowing that she had only released him to catch up with her.

Maya took a deep, unsteady breath. She slid off of the grass pokémon, patting his shoulder. She didn't look at Ree. "...I understand their worry, but they wanted me to quit training. You know how they can fuss. It sort of—it was weird, but it gave me this focus again, and the focus was to get the hell out of there."

"You ditched our parents?"

"You're not the only Majors sister who gets to run away from time to time," she replied with her nose in the air.

"Maya... Are you sure you want to do this?"

Her fingers tightened in Mordecai's fur. "...No. Honestly, this is a panic response. I can recognize that much in myself. This is probably a really, _really_ dumb decision, but I can't sit around and cry forever. So as long as I can keep making dumb decisions, I won't have to do that."

Ree could admire that sort of logic, but it was still her little sister she was talking to. "They're not going to be happy. And—do you really want to get right back out into the wilderness again? We'd have to at least leave town to avoid them properly." They both had enough badges to legally keep training without parental consent, but that would only degrade into a messy showdown in the pokémon center, more likely than not. Maybe running just ran in the family.

"I'm so tired of people right now, Ree. I just want to be with my team."

Grief was weird. But she was happy Maya would be sharing it with her pokémon; that would help, at least on some level. They could help her in ways Ree couldn't. So with a new backpack, a new companion, and a new Sophia, Ree and Maya Majors gladly left Black City.

-.-.-

They really only made to get out of the city limits before finding a secluded place to camp and crash for the night. Maya still seemed to tire easily, or perhaps she just wanted to sleep more, and Ree was fine with that. She stayed up to make sure she was actually sleeping, and then set about to sorting her things between her bags. As obnoxiously colored as it was, the newer backpack had more space and better pockets. Not that she had a plethora of things, but maybe now she wouldn't have so many awkward lumps pressing into her back when she carried it.

She woke up to morning sickness. She was very certain it was only that and not stress, since she had slept better than she had in weeks, strangely enough. But the noise of it woke her sister, who blearily asked, "Ree...? Are you okay?"

She was still feeling nauseated and didn't want to actually throw up, so she literally said the first thing that came to mind. "Last night I binged on blue slushies when I was out on the town."

"Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Uh, kind of. But I'm hell bent on keeping them down." She nervously swallowed an anti-nausea pill and realized she'd have to hide her vitamins from Maya. And her baby name book. And probably her romance novels, just for courtesy's sake. Thank god Harry hadn't started making her baby socks or something.

"Oh, gross. Seven missed calls and four voice mails," Maya groaned at her phone. Ree decided to keep hers off for a little longer. She didn't need a headache _and_ a stomachache. "Well, they'll figure it out soon enough, I'm sure. At least they know I'm with you. And now we can journey together!"

"Uh, y-yeah..."

"Oh, Ree, I'm really excited to finally get to see you. And your pokémon, and we can... battle and stuff... together..." Maya trailed off, blinking rapidly against the tears already streaming down her cheeks. She buried her face in her hands, and Ree could only console her with a hug.

Fortunately or unfortunately—she wasn't sure which just yet—Maya was Maya. And when she got a notion into her head, nothing, not even herself, was going to stop it. She had decided that they _were_ running away together, that she _was_ excited to travel with Ree as trainers, and she _was_ going to be okay. Which was easier said than done, since every time she reached for her belt—half-empty of pokeballs—she would end up crying.

Ree, again, felt worse than useless. Her sister alternated rapidly between forced enthusiasm and trying to hide her tears, and it was heartbreaking to watch. But she couldn't keep up. She wasn't sure whether to go along with Maya's plans or simply try to comfort her.

By mid-afternoon, she finally coaxed Maya into letting all of her pokémon out. Mordecai had been a good step the night before, but Ree was getting desperate, and decided a drastic action would be best. Maybe Maya would just get all cried out and then deal with her pokémon normally after that.

On some primal level, Ree had known what Maya's team held for her. Sure, Edgar was out of the picture now, and she wasn't sure _exactly_ how well grass pokémon were with stuff like pheromones, but Burgh's leavanny had picked up on her pregnancy months ago. And here she was, staring down at her old starter, now Maya's.

Lilith stared up at Ree, mouth falling open. She could tell she knew _exactly_ what her old trainer was. With a crooked smile, Ree knelt down and pulled her into a hug that masked her hissing, "Do _not_ tell Maya. For the love of everything, do not tell her this. For me, Lilith."

"Van!" she agreed at once. Despite having given her to Maya years ago, the bug had always been incredibly fond of Ree. And she stayed hugging her, forcing Ree to pick her up and carry her. It was a sacrifice she was willing to make.

Maya, shockingly dry-eyed, smiled at the sight. "She's still so happy to see you. One of my favorite parts of visiting home was always seeing you two run around and torment Aubie."

"Well, we certainly did that pretty well."

"Vanny!"

"...Hey, let me see your pokémon! I never got to meet them properly in Castelia, and you have more now, don't you? Let me see your team, let me see them!"

That was going to be a very bad idea. Ree wished she could get either of Maya's other pokémon to make some sort of distraction—Lilith would be too obvious—but they were firmly on their trainer's side. "Uh... You sure?"

"I can handle seeing your pokémon, Ree," Maya said firmly. It was almost convincing. "Lili, come here. We're going to greet Ree's team politely."

The leavanny, that traitor, hopped out of her arms and settled herself in right between Maya and Talia. The lilligant huffed and scooted out of the way.

Ree rolled Lala's ball back and forth in her palms, still trying to think of a way out of it that didn't involve her outright accusing her sister of anything. Nothing came to her mind, so she regretfully released her whimsicott. Lala yawned and barely gave Ree a glance, but the double-take she did at seeing Maya's team was amusing.

Amusing, and then outright _cute_ when Lala unmistakably _blushed_. With an even darker face, she approached Talia, waiting until they were almost nose-to-nose before squeaking, "Wh-Whimsi-si-cott!"

The lilligant turned a darker shade of green. Ree hadn't known grass pokémon could blush, but here they had two examples.

Wait.

Talia.

"Talia's a girl, right?" With Maya's weird taste in names, she had to double check.

"Well, yeah. All lilligant are biologically female. Your whimsicott is so cute, Ree. And look at them," Maya said, positively cooing.

While the change in her disposition was welcome, Ree still felt a little blindsided by this revelation. "Yeah, that's Lala."

"Oh, that's _so cute_! You named him after my old toy? I suppose he does look like—Lala isn't a boy, is she."

"Not in the least."

The two stared down at their blushing pokémon, who were most definitely trying to cuddle around a staunchly not-moving Lilith. "Oh my god that is _so adorable_!" Maya outright squealed and even her cheeks were a little pink. "Little lesbian pokémon! Oh my gosh, that is precious, I didn't know, Talia—!"

"Yeah, I didn't know, either," Ree mumbled. Although it neatly explained why Lala rebuffed Whippy's charms so easily. ...Then again, that very well might have been her personal taste, too. Aside from a general green coloration, Whippy and Talia didn't have much in common.

She was happy that Lala had a—whatever Talia had just become, but the cute factor died a quick death when she had to physically separate them more than once just to get them to behave. Ree released Unika, hoping the presence of a child would keep Lala decent, but that backfired since Unika seemed more curious about why two pokémon were getting so grabby with one another. _Then_ she had to release Harper just to keep the tynamo in line, and already she could feel Maya's expectations of her slipping away; some trainer she was, look at how well her pokémon behaved.

"Harper evolved," Maya said instead.

Ree paused in separating Unika and Lala's fluff. "...Yeah, she did." Oh, it was going to be so weird having someone else know about her Harper complex. Another thing she hadn't signed up for.

"You still have more pokémon, right?" she prompted.

"...Well, yeah, but..."

"Has your minccino evolved?"

Ree, Lala, and Harper froze. With a triumphant squeal at being freed, Unika slithered out of Harper's lax grasp and attached herself to Mordecai's flank. The tranquill landed on Ree's shoulder, pressing their cheeks together, and Lala sat moodily down by Talia, but kept her paws to herself. "...That was Mitzi, and she didn't."

"I'm sorry. I—I hadn't known." The accidental, unspoken words hung in the air: she hadn't known because Ree hadn't told anyone anything.

To ignore the lump in her throat, she handed Maya her last pokeball. "That's my last pokémon. His name is Whippy. He's a servine now, you didn't get to meet him in Castelia. ...I'll understand if you don't want to see him, though."

To Maya's eternal credit, she hardly hesitated before releasing him. He still had the gray scarf wound around his neck and head. "...Hello, Whippy," she said softly and if she recognized the colors in his scarf she didn't show it. "I'm glad to finally meet my sister's starter."

He nodded shyly at Maya and then clawed his way up Ree's pant leg. Harper clicked her beak at him but he stubbornly set his chin on Ree's other shoulder, making her hug him. "Ser-servine?"

"Scott," Lala replied and gestured at Talia. They both glanced at Maya.

"...I'm glad it looks like they'll get along," Maya said with a smile. She didn't shed a single tear.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Maya definitely ships it. Ree feels bound to stay with her sister, but she can only do so much for her. Maya's a strong girl, of course, but neither of them are therapists and it shows. Ree treats Maya as if she's made of glass, and Maya is bent on figuring out why Ree has been avoiding her and Scott for so long. With winter coming in the northern half of Unova, they're about to be cut off, but they can't agree on what direction to head in. At least their teams are getting along. It's a little refreshing not to have Lala antagonizing the other pokémon for once...


	33. Of Not Keeping Promises

"Why is the shower covered in bubble wrap?!"

"Happy April first, Scottie!"

And so it went every year. Ree was a terror on April Fool's, and this was the first year he had been with her. Maya had pointedly avoided coming home anywhere near the date after the time Ree and Carly had hung a giant banner of one of her baby pictures across the front of their old school.

Scott's pokémon seemed confused by the ritual, but at least they had played willing accomplices. It wasn't until he tried the oreos—stuffed with toothpaste—that they realized their trainer wasn't necessarily on board with it all.

"That was sick. Sick and wrong," Scott said with watery eyes as he downed yet another glass of milk. At least she hadn't done anything to that. The orange juice, on the other hand...

"Have to entertain myself somehow."

"Couldn't you have done it in a more fun for _me_ way?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know, cover yourself in bubble wrap."

"That sounds kind of fun, actually."

He set her on the couch while he went through the house with Yorick to make sure nothing else had been touched. Of course it had—he fell for one of the cups of water perched on the door, gave a shout from the upstairs bathroom at the clown hidden in the shower, and made her clean up all of the post-it notes on his bed. "Where did you even get the time to do all of this?"

"I had a bit of help," Ree said as Nigel ran by, covered in post-its.

"No more hanging out on April first. Ever."

That was okay, since she had already bribed his pokémon to help. She was thinking hair dye and boiled eggs, and with her accomplices doing the dirty work again and her safe and sound in her own house, he wouldn't suspect a thing.

Scott got his revenge when he woke her up at two in the morning dressed as Slenderman, tapping on her window as he stood on Vince's shoulders. Worse, he managed to record her resulting scream on his phone and used it as his ringtone for the following three weeks.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty-Three**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Not Keeping Promises

-.-.-

"Li-il," Talia sighed wistfully, holding her face in her hand as she watched Harper and Unika practice flying. She turned to Lala with a bright smile. "Li-gant!"

"Whim," Lala replied and looked down at her body. Ree had to wonder what they were talking about. It was incredibly strange to have Lala simply _walk_ with them as they made their way through the trees, as opposed to bounding around and being a little hooligan. But Talia wasn't particularly athletic and Lala seemed keen on staying by her side. It was sweet, in a way. "Whim! Whimsi-si-si, si-cott!" Lala exclaimed with a gesture up at Ree.

Whippy, riding on her shoulders, gave a start. That probably should have tipped her off. But she was still distracted by sweet Lala.

"Liligant... Lili, li-il liligant?"

Maya choked on the water she'd been sipping. "Ree is _what_?!"

"What?!" she repeated in horror.

"You're pregnant?!"

"You absolute little shit!" Ree snarled and swiped at Lala, who grabbed Talia and hid behind Maya.

"Ree, you're _pregnant_?" Maya repeated.

So, leaving Lala to her traitorous ways, Ree whistled for Harper and then turned and ran. Whippy leapt off her shoulders and led the way for her, pointing her towards more easily accessible paths through the foliage. But he wasn't as used to running with a scarf as Jackster was, and in no time flat, he'd gotten stuck on a low branch. Ree stopped to help untangle him, and Mordecai trotted up to her with Maya, Talia, and Lala on his back.

"How does that big of a pokémon even get through the forest that easily?" Ree asked sourly. While most of his autumnal foliage had fallen off his antlers, they were still large enough that they _had_ to create some sort of issue for him.

"We've had practice," Maya replied curtly.

"Did you just leave Lilith back there?"

"You left a prey-bird and a young tynamo back there. You don't get to point fingers."

"No I didn't," Ree said smugly as Harper and Unika dropped out of the trees above them, landing on either of her shoulders. Maya's scowl deepened and her cheeks pinked, but she maintained her expression. Ree's own smirk faltered. "...What are the chances you won't believe her?"

"Zero, after you bolted like a scared deerling."

"Can we talk about this over lunch? Preggers wants lunch."

They trudged back to the almost-path they had been following, and Lilith was still waiting for them there, smiling brightly when she saw their return. Maya instructed Ree to start a fire and she went off with Mordecai to the stream they had been sticking close to. Talia and Lilith, after a brief conference, kept suspiciously close eyes on Ree. Ree, on the other hand, kept glaring at Lala.

The whimsicott feigned innocence, but made sure to keep out of arm's reach of her trainer. Maya came back with enough water to start some soup, prompting Ree to ask, "Why are we stopping? I thought we could just eat some trail mix and—"

Her sister gave her a look that could peel paint.

She groaned and flopped onto her back. "Fuck you, Maya. I don't need babied. I've been doing _just fine_ up until this point."

"We're going to have a nice, hot meal together, sitting around the fire like the family we are. And we are going to have a very nice talk together as well."

"We don't have to stop for that!"

"It's not just for you!" Maya snapped. She pointed to where Talia and Lilith were more or less sitting _in_ Lala's fluff, but even they looked nonplussed at the sudden point. "During cold months, you have to make sure your pokémon are dealing with the weather well. Keep them warm, too. You're not responsible for just yourself—I guess in more ways than one..."

They had stopped frequently the day before, but she had assumed that was because Maya hadn't been feeling well. It wasn't as if she _hadn't_ noticed the weather getting worse. She just thought the pokémon were a little sturdier than that. But she knew better than to argue.

Ree watched mutely as it turned into a group affair. Maya got out the big pot she had with her and filled it with water, placing it over the fire. She barely got out of the way before Talia and Lilith pounced, tossing in herbs and little plants. Ree hadn't even seen them gather them. Whippy and Unika watched with large eyes.

Maya was content to trust them, apparently, because she left them in charge and dug through her bag. She pulled out a hunting knife and a pair of gloves. "I—I'm still trying to figure out how to feed my team, since... since I'm down two carnivores," she forced out. "But I know Whippy needs protein, and you do too, since we hardly ate yesterday."

"Well, yeah, but he can hunt for himself. Hell, he and Lala are better hunters than I am, by a long shot."

"I know. I usually..." She scrubbed at her eyes with her wrist. "I-I guess I'm just going to have to get back into the groove of hunting by myself."

Ree mentally smacked herself. Of _course_ she would have gotten help from the serperior and the psychic. She made to stand up, to offer to help, but surprisingly, Lala beat her to it. The whimsicott tugged on the hem of Maya's sweatshirt with a, "Scott?"

"...Lala's a really great hunter," Ree added.

Maya stared down at her. It took her too long to reply with a soft, "Okay," but at least she had. Ree wasn't entirely sure it had been a stellar idea, but what choice did she have? At least Lala would distract her and guarantee some sort of successful hunt. Maybe killing things together would be therapeutic.

Scratch that, she really hoped killing things would _not_ be therapeutic for her sister.

-.-.-

Maya Majors was a gift from whatever deities existed, Ree decided. She found out about her pregnancy and simply _let it go_. She didn't go all stern like Lenore, fret like Harry, or spoil her like Allen. Some part of it, she guiltily knew, was due to her mourning, and wanting to distract her from that warred within her against the wish to keep the secret hidden and buried.

She still scrubbed at her eyes whenever she reached for her half-empty belt, but those moments were growing more and more rare as they continued west. Their remaining pokémon proved to be enough of a handful to keep their thoughts from straying.

Lala and Talia needed constant supervision—_honestly_, were they in some sort of grass pokémon heat?—and Unika was back in some sort of manic mood. Ree didn't know if that was normal for her or if it had been because of all the new pokémon, or how she should even deal with the switch again. It was a little easier than depressive Unika, she eventually decided, and seeing her all bubbly and excitable again seemed to put Harper at ease.

And then there was Whippy.

Lilith had been an old pokémon of hers, something she had explained again and again to her team (mostly him), but he either couldn't comprehend that or was insanely jealous of her. Whippy acted extra helpful to Ree, which was nice, but less nice was his sudden need to keep in constant contact with her. He actually hissed at Lilith several times when she wanted to be carried, and while she could carry both pokémon comfortably, she couldn't if they were squabbling.

Lilith was the stronger pokémon, too. She didn't do anything but defend herself, but he ended up with a bruised ego more often than not. Ree hadn't even gotten used to consoling Uni, let alone her starter. Or her sister. Thank the stars Maya was made of tougher stuff.

"You already look like a mother," Maya remarked snidely. Ree held one pokémon in each arm, away from each other to prevent them from scratching and kicking.

"Bite me, Maya."

They arrived in Nimbasa with the snow. Maya took them all shopping to show Ree how to dress her pokémon for colder weather, evidently comfortable in the role of elite trainer dispensing worldly advice to her juniors, something that was not lost on the elder sister. Since Maya had been gone for most of the training year, it had been easy to forget that she actually _was_ a great trainer.

Lala in a parka had everyone in higher spirits, save the whimsicott. And then, even better news (despite how many pictures a laughing Ree had taken with her phone) came in the form of a recovered maractus. There were many more tears and explanations and group hugs and then hugs for Ree once Zara realized they'd be traveling together. Maya was up another pokémon, which seemed to help her a little, even if it made the missing two more obvious.

_But Edgar is still out there_, Ree mused as she watched Zara and Lala size each other up. _We can get him back._ All she had was a vague description and maybe a name, but it would be better than nothing. Allen could help her fill in some of the blanks, surely.

Luck smiled on them once again when Zara got along well with Ree's team. Keeping the grass girlfriends and the other two constantly separated was hell on her nerves already.

"How can two pokémon who just met like each other this much?!" she shouted, pulling Lala from Talia for the millionth time, to Maya and Zara's great amusement.

"Maybe it's true love."

"Mar!"

"True love my ass."

"What's the harm of it? Maybe they'll get it out of their systems."

"Whippy is still young and Unika is even younger, that's what."

"Ser!" Whippy called with a betrayed tone.

"Can it, mister."

"It's not as if they could get pregnant," Maya said pointedly. Ree scowled at her, then threw Lala at her. "My, are you jealous? You're not getting any action so neither can Lala?"

"Whimsi?" Lala echoed from Maya's lap.

"No, it..." It hadn't reminded her of Scott and herself, honestly. They weren't exactly lesbians. And, if she were being honest, it had stopped reminding her of Whippy and Mitzi pretty early, too. She wasn't sure _why_ it bothered her so much. It was certainly strange, seeing Lala affectionate and so cheerful, but that wasn't a bad thing. "I don't know. But Lala, if you're getting frisky from now on, keep it away from the younger ones. Otherwise I'll keep pulling you apart."

Lala nodded happily and bounced off to find Talia, who turned out to be under the bed with Lilith, who was promptly exiled. Lilith came crying over to Ree, only to get cut off by Whippy. Harper swooped down and landed on his head with a severe-sounding chirp.

Ree plucked her off of him with a heavy sigh. "And just how old are you, anyway? You act like an old lady."

"Tran?!" Harper squawked, undeniably affronted by the accusation.

"You too, mister. We're going out for some air. Uni, coming?"

The tynamo popped out of Mordecai's thick winter coat with a "Tyna!"

"Want me to pick you up anything?" Ree asked of her sister.

"No, I think we're good. Don't be out too long, it's getting cold."

"Yeah, yeah." Whippy under one arm and Harper on her shoulder, Ree pulled on her boots and traipsed out into the snowy Nimbasa evening. The sky was overcast, colored orange by the reflected lights from the city, but it was barely snowing anymore.

It wasn't long before Whippy had burrowed his way into her coat, making her carry him in the most absurd fashion. It looked as if she was already nine months pregnant and then some. Harper was content to keep nuzzled up against Ree's cheek, her feathers warm. At least she could regulate her own body temperature. She didn't want to see what it would look like if a bird's wings got tied up in a scarf.

"Harpy, why do you dote on Unika like that?" Ree asked out of the blue.

"Tranquill?"

"Yeah, you totally do. I mean, I'm glad you do, she seems to really like you, and honestly I'm still lost when it comes to dealing with her. I don't even know what to do... But you're so patient with her, and you're still trying to teach her how to fly. Were you a mother?"

Harper pecked her jaw. "Quill."

"Take it as a compliment, sheesh. You're better at it than I'll ever be."

"Ser?" Whippy asked, poking his snout out of her coat.

"Just look at how you turned out," Ree said with a grin for him. He grinned back cheekily. The little shit. "Even now, I look at Maya and her team and... Fuck, we're just never going to be like that. I can't even bring this up with her because I'm so scared of setting her off."

They stopped on the steps of a library, and Ree sat down, curling around her starter. She was crying before she knew it, silently, but it shook her entire body, uprooting Harper. The tranquill settled back down gingerly on her knee, patting her glove with the tip of her wing.

"I miss Mitzi," Ree confessed in a whisper. She sniffed and wiped her nose with her other hand. Whippy pulled the edge of his scarf out and offered it to her. She couldn't help but laugh. "I'm not going to get snot all over that, but thanks. It's just these goddamn hormones, I'm sure."

"Tran, tranquill-quill," Harper said gently.

"I-I miss Scottie, too. Maya's taken this whole thing so well, and I keep thinking of how our teams would mesh. Would you like each other? I bet you'd get jealous of Nigel, mister. And oh, Lala and Rocio would get along like a house on fire..."

The cold made her wet cheeks sting. She took a steadying breath and set Harper back on her shoulder, allowing her to nuzzle into the crook of her neck like she normally did, even if it was a little more difficult for a tranquill than a pidove.

"Sorry, you guys got stuck with the sappy trainer who doesn't know what the fuck she's doing. But maybe Maya can help us a bit."

"Ser!"

All three of them jumped at the ringtone that suddenly blared into their happy, quiet little scene. Whippy dug it out of her hoodie pocket, bringing it up for her, and she felt dread settle into her stomach when she saw it was Allen's phone. What did Maria want? Or worse—was Lenore using his phone? "...Hello?"

"Hey! How's my favorite angry brunette doing?" It was actually Allen. She let out a surprised laugh. "That good, huh?"

"Uh, no, hell no. But it's nice to hear from you again. You have your phone back?"

"Yeah, just snagged it back from Maria. Waiting to debrief for my trip right now. I heard you had sort of a rough spot, but she and Lenore wouldn't say anything about it...?"

"I, uh... J-Just some family stuff. But I checked in with Lenore just a couple days ago, so hey, at least I'm sort of healthy."

"...Right. I won't pry, but if you'd like to talk, well, I'm here. But, not prying, now I need to know where you are. They won't give me Tranjero back until I debrief."

"Nimbasa. Why?"

"Why are you back east?"

"Family stuff. Why is this important?"

"...No reason," he said with an innocent air that was fooling absolutely no one. "Ree, sweet, dear, precious Ree, would you do me a remarkably huge favor?"

"What is it?" she asked suspiciously.

"Stay up north. Just for the next two or three weeks."

"_Why_?" she pressed.

"I'm on another assignment, and people think there will be trouble, and I'd rather not you get into said trouble. Pretty please?"

"I'll talk it over with Maya."

"Maya? You—You're with your _sister_?"

Oh shit. Backtrack, backpedal, excuses—nothing came to her. She didn't want to get back into that yet, and if he would be busy with other things, then no need for her to, either. "What was that? You were—krssh—you're breaking up a bit—I can't hear you—okaybyeAllen!"

Harper fixed her with a flat look as she hung up. "...Quill?"

"I want to not think about it for five seconds. And I don't want to start crying all over again, especially over the phone. It'd give the poor guy a heart attack."

"Quill," she replied, sounding appropriately reproachful.

"Later." Ree scooped Whippy up again and waddled back to the pokémon center. Her nose and fingertips were numb, cheeks bright red, but overall, she was in a better mood. Crisp winter air could help a lot of things in small doses. Maya was in the bath when she returned, the door cracked to let out steam, which Whippy greedily sat in front of. "Hey, Maya, we're back."

"Oh! Good! Ree, I have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

"Can we head down to Castelia?"

She froze in taking off her coat. "...Why?"

"Well, Scott has that concert he's opening for soon, and he sent me some tickets. I know you never miss one of his shows... Oh, please? There's not going to be much for us to do up here, we both have the badges we can get to until cities thaw, and it'll be a packed concert! He doesn't have to see you!"

"Why do you care if I see him or not?"

"You don't have to distance yourself. He'd understand, too, you know he would—"

"Why do you really want to go, Maya?" Ree interrupted. The bathroom fell silent. "You're either going to try to push me into Scott—I will punch you in the face if you do—or you have an ulterior motive."

"...Alder asked me for a favor."

"...Alder. The champion Alder?"

"Yes, that one. There will be some dignitaries there that I met while in Sinnoh, and he asked me to help show them around a little, since I know the city, too. It's just playing tour guide for a couple days, acting like the Unovan trainer rep again..."

She heard a sniffle from the cracked door. "...Maya, does he know about your team?"

"Y-Yes. But it's not like I'll be battling them, it's just for show. They don't have to know."

"You could turn it down."

"I'm f-fine. Promise. And then you can see Scott in concert, and we can head somewhere a little warmer, and we can go shopping. It's not like mom or dad would expect us there so soon after ditching them."

"Until you appear in the news again."

"That will be after the fact. And they want to keep me low-key, so really, I'm only doing this since they sort of know me. I'm the undercover tour guide."

Seeing Scott, even from afar, was likely to be a very bad idea. But she missed him an awful lot. If Maya figured she could do it, then she could. And if she had only said yes to be polite, then, well, Ree would just have to be there for her. "Fuck me, fine, we can go. But if they try to challenge you to a battle for whatever reason, I'm kicking their asses. Dignitaries or no."

"Deal."

-.-.-

Castelia had been a bad idea. The city was busier than ever, with people flocking south to avoid the winter snows, as well as the usual number of people there for the concert or, apparently, whatever political thing Maya had gotten roped into. Some sort of official meet and greet with some big-shots in Sinnoh, and Ree had a pretty good idea of what Allen was in town for.

So she was simultaneously ignoring Allen's plea, ignoring her own desire to avoid her boyfriend, praying her parents weren't smart enough to wonder if their daughters were in the city, and worrying over what Maya had signed up for. Maybe she was just hyperaware of it because of her sister, but it didn't look like the whatever-it-was was the small, quiet thing she had described.

"...And that's why I'm begging you to _please_ put me out of my misery," Ree finished.

"Right. Seems like you've only gotten smarter since we've last seen each other," Kev said and she couldn't even argue with him.

"I'm terrified Maya is talking to Scott right now—or has already—about me being in town. They can corner me all too easily! I know, if I actually have to look him in the eye, it's all over for me." She set her head in her hands with a groan. The cherry on the whole damned cake was that she had been feeling nauseated ever since they had made it through the desert.

"Is it so bad if your boyfriend knew you were carrying his child?" he asked archly.

"I don't know why I came you to looking for sympathy."

"I'm not exactly sure of that, either."

"So since I'm not getting any sympathy, you'll help me, right?"

"I suppose I must," he said with a long-suffering sigh.

"Great," Ree said with a forced smile. A hot guy would keep Maya in line if need be, and he could help act as Ree's conscience if she got too needy or troublesome. "I need your promise that you will absolutely prevent me from seeing Scott."

"Only if you promise to stop me from doing something stupid if I see my brother," Kev replied coolly.

"Wait, your brother? Isn't he in—ohh. Well. Are you sure he's one of those visiting foreigners?"

"Burgh told me about it, so, yeah, I'm sure," he said flatly. She patted him on the shoulder with the sympathy he didn't give her. "We can keep each other out of trouble. Isn't that how this supposed friendship started?"

"I thought this started because I got you fired."

"We were having a moment. You'll _want_ to call this a friendship if you want me to play babysitter to a pair of teenaged girls."

"Way to sound old."

"You make me feel old sometimes. Now, when is this concert?"

"...Tomorrow night," she said with a smile. She couldn't maintain it in front of his glower. "I got you a ticket! It's pokémon free, though, so your little purple thing can chill with our pokémon at the center. Some company won't hurt anyone."

"Visoka," Kev growled. His spoink bounced up onto his lap with a snort at his name. "Ree, is there anything _else_ about this almost-plan you'd care to share with me?"

"Uh, Maya's going to be showing your brother around town. So let's not hang out with her on those days. And Allen doesn't want me in the city. Specifically asked me not to be here."

"Is there _anyone_ in this entire country who you are not disobeying, avoiding, or actively pissing off?"

"...Harry," Ree said after a beat. Unfortunately, that was about the only name that immediately sprang to mind. "And you, because you are the nicest, kindest, most helpful friend a—mmph." Kev covered her mouth with his hand, still scowling at her.

"Please, you're making me blush. Now, in all seriousness, Ree, would you kindly tell me how I'm supposed to keep you from your boyfriend, especially if he's in league with your sister?"

"_You're_ my weapon against Maya. She flips out around cute dudes, remember? And she'll dig your new glasses."

"Yes, because I was hoping to become more attractive to horny sixteen-year-olds."

"No, seriously, that's all you have to do. Be in her vicinity and we've taken her out. As for Scott... I'm still working on that. He'll be busy with band stuff beforehand, and afterward it'll just be chaotic in there, so it should be easy enough to sneak out..."

They plotted well into the night, and the next day, Ree reintroduced the two. She was somewhat gratified to see her sister withdraw into her blushing, apologizing, stammering mess she normally did when confronted with guys; even in her state of mourning, she had some normal behaviors left. And Kev wouldn't talk to her about pokémon, either, so there was likely no chance of relapse.

"Please don't break our room while we're gone," Ree told her team as Maya was finishing getting ready, staunchly ignoring Kev. It was entertaining to see in small doses, but it was going to get grating for the entire night. But maybe it meant she could slink away sooner. "Lala, behave. Harper, make sure she behaves."

"And Zara, no pins. Anywhere. I—" The younger girl came out of the bathroom, smoky eyes looking fantastic, and promptly turned an unappealing shade of red when confronted with Kev once more. "I-I-I'm sorry, I just... Z-Zara, please, don't, oh gosh, I'm sorry," she wheezed and ran back into the bathroom.

"I must have traumatized her as a child," Ree said, double checking her phone for the time. "I don't know where she picked that up."

"It must be nice, having a relationship like that."

"Traumatizing her?"

"One where you can joke about doing so."

Ree arched an eyebrow. "Are you going to tell me what the hell is up with you and your family? I mean, we are going to be actively avoiding one of them, so if they're a serial killer or something, I'd like to know before my sister goes near him."

"Not tonight," Kev replied and crossed his arms. Ree wished concert drinks weren't so expensive, otherwise she could booze him up and try to get the information from him that way. Come to think, that was going to have to be her first completely sober show she'd see of Scott's.

Just the thought of beer made her stomach flop over. She jumped to her feet and banged on the bathroom door until Maya peeked out, and remorselessly tossed her out into the pile of pokémon and Kev. Ree heaved into the toilet, only once, but it was a crappy way to start the night.

_I could just call in sick. He'd understand._ No, he would think it was an excuse, and Ree knew it. Shows were different, anyway, and this was a big thing for him. An actual _concert_. It was a shitty definition of it, but she was still going to be there for him.

She rinsed out her mouth, took some of the stomach medicine, and bravely went to rescue her sister from the male menace. Sure enough, Maya was all but glued to the bathroom door in an effort to avoid looking at him. "_Is_ there some sort of traumatic past you've been hiding from me?" Ree had to ask.

"N-No! I'm sorry, this is weird, sorry, I just. Boys are just so. I'm sorry. They're so weird."

"...Okay, yeah, but you're pretty weird, too."

Maya elbowed her in the side. Ree elbowed her right back. Kev stepped in before they got too physical, and Maya shied away like he had some sort of force field. Ree made sure to stay between them on the way out, after procuring more promises from their pokémon that they would not come back to a trashed room. "We could simply return them," he suggested once the door was closed. At least they hadn't heard any immediate crashes.

"After it came out that we were going out for the night and couldn't take them... Well, it was the biggest pity party you had ever seen. This is the best compromise we could come up with in so short a time period."

"Who's the trainer?"

"Sometimes I wonder. How you holding up, Maya? Still scared?"

"S-Sorry."

"It'll get better once she gets into the crowds," Ree told him. "Think of it as a compliment until then."

"I see the family resemblance in how you two deal with logic," Kev said but mercifully dropped it.

It felt surreal. The last time Ree had been to a big show, it had been with Scott. And the last time she'd seen his band play, it had been at the (far smaller) civic center on the other side of town. Now, they were opening for Damned Ditto, in Castelia's second largest stadium. And she was going to avoid him entirely.

She snapped a picture of her ticket and sent it to his phone. He probably wouldn't get to see it until later, but at least he had some small bit of proof. Or rather, she had some small thing to offer him to assuage her own guilt.

They were on the floor, center, if a little ways back. Maya perked up once there were more people around, startling Kev, but Ree was just glad to see her excited. Damned Ditto was more her thing, anyway. Ree begged out to hit the bathrooms before anything started, and couldn't help but feel a little thrill when she saw the stalls set up out in one of the halls for merchandise. They had their own table! There wasn't much set up and a guard eyed her as she smiled at the stacks of stuff.

Okay, the night was going to wreck her. The sooner she accepted that fact, the easier it would be, right?

Wrong. Maya was halfway hoarse with all of her frantic screaming when they saw Creative Anything on stage and Ree burst into tears the second the first song started. Then, even worse, Maya started crying for reasons Ree couldn't fathom. It was entirely ridiculous, and she could hardly hear the music for how stupidly loud she was crying, and Kev may have had to have pick her up in order to prevent her from lunging forward.

They didn't make it through the second opener. Once they were off the stage, Kev was hauling Ree off to the hall, Maya trailing with apologies. Ree slid down at sat in a relatively empty section, hiccuping and sniffling and feeling like a horrible girlfriend.

"Worst concert ever," she grumbled.

"You were still here for him," Kev offered.

"And I took some pictures," Maya said proudly. "You can look back on them and laugh one day. Until then, I'm going to use them as blackmail."

"I want you shy and embarrassed again."

"I-I'm good now," she said, edging away from Kev. "I'm going to go back in now. Will you be okay?"

"I'll just be out here, wallowing."

"Okay, have fun with that."

Ree watched her sister go back in with a pout. "She probably has some guy pegged in there as an easy mark. Kev, would you go remind her that she's supposed to be behaving tonight?"

"And leave you here alone?"

"I'm just going to... walk around for a bit. Clear my head."

"Ree. You made me promise to keep an eye on you."

"I-I just miss him so much!" And now she was messily crying all over again. Even if he had been far away, she had still seen him, in person, for the first time in months. It was one of the biggest nights of his life and she had been there but she couldn't be there for _him_. Or with him. She should be backstage with him, helping lug all of his equipment out of the way, laughing and joking and waiting to find a dark corner in which to press him up against the wall and—"I'm gonna find him!"

"Oh no you don't. You're the one who keeps insisting that you shouldn't," he said and pulled her back down by her sleeve.

"And you keep telling me I _should_!"

"Look, I'm keeping my promise to you tonight. And if you still want to see him so much later, then, well, not my jurisdiction. Just wait until tomorrow. He'll still be in town and you'll be thinking more clearly about what you want."

"Don't get all smart on me," she snapped but flopped down beside him all the same. She knew she wouldn't be feeling the same way again come morning. Somehow, that made it hurt worse.

She eventually made another trip to the bathroom to get sick, and he dutifully waited outside with a bottle of water for her. They sat out in the hall, listening to the muffled music from afar, watching as staff shot them confused looks.

"You really don't have to sit out here with me. We can go in and actually watch the rest of the show," Ree said.

"I don't mind it out here."

"You don't have to be so nice to me. _Why_ are you being so nice to me?"

"You're entertaining to keep around," Kev said with a grin. "And it's not as if I have many friends in this country yet. My standards are fairly low."

"Real friends get friends fired," she snorted.

"And battle in a towel to get them another job," he reminded, again being too nice.

"Okay, no, but seriously. Thanks."

"It wasn't all that bad. I got a free ticket to a concert I barely saw, you still owe me dinner, and I'm overcompensating with a pleasant mood now because I know once I know my brother is in the same city, I'll turn into a foul creature. I came to Unova to get away from him, and it seems as if I can't."

"Well, I became a pokémon trainer to get away from my boyfriend, and here I am at his concert."

"We have so much in common," Kev pointed out with another nice smile.

-.-.-

Ree tried watching the press conference, she really did. But it was _boring_. The Sinnoh dignitaries were a trio of kids, probably around Maya's age, the new gym leaders and champion or something. No wonder Kev didn't want to talk about the problems going on in that country.

But it wasn't like Maya was in it, so she didn't know why she tried. Kev had assured her that he was locked in the gym, safe and sound, so that meant Ree was alone with her team for the day. For the first time since Harry had left.

She tried reading, she took a long bath, she tried watching the show with the cartoon ponyta, and she even tried an exercise video on the internet with Whippy and Lala. The weather was bright but cold, not exactly inviting, and the crowds made the prospect of going outside even less appealing. So she ended up bored all day.

Maya crawled back in, utterly exhausted, at almost midnight. She went straight to sleep, hardly undressing. Ree grumpily went to sleep soon after; that was not the break to the boredom she had been hoping for.

The next morning, she surprised her sister by getting up and getting ready with her. "Are you meeting with Kev again today?"

"No, I'm going to go out with you."

Maya paused in lacing up her boot. "..._Why_?"

"I want to meet these kids you're showing around. And my pokémon want to get out. We haven't been doing much since we got to Castelia."

"I was just going to show them some of our museums today. A-And I think Alicia wanted to go shopping. This is literally just a tour, Ree, it's nothing special."

"I'm bored and Kev's in an angry haze." She also wanted to meet this brother of his. "Come on, I'll behave, promise."

"Ree, I'm supposed to be their guide. I can't just bring you along..." Maya maintained nervously.

"Okay, then where are you going for lunch? I can just happen to meet you there. Pretty please? Just a little bit of socializing for your poor hermit sister?"

"No. And just go outside on your own if you're tired of being cooped up in here. Today should be nice out, so it wouldn't be a bad day to battle or visit the park." With that, Maya left. Ree caught her riding Mordecai out into the street, as if worried that she would follow her. As if.

"Museums, huh." It wasn't as if she didn't know her sister's favorite places to visit in the city. And hell, she had all but made it into a challenge. Ree texted Kev, asking if he wanted to join her in museum hunting, and didn't wait for a response. With Whippy curled around her shoulders and the rest of her team returned and sleeping, they strode out purposefully into the clear morning of Castelia City.

And immediately headed back in to grab his scarf and another layer for Ree. She had forgotten how cold it could get sometimes, even that far south, and threw on a hoodie underneath her coat.

"Okay, back to our spy game." While her other pokémon could be useful in tracking her sister, she honestly wasn't too worried about her odds. And with so many people milling about, she didn't want to turn Lala or Unika loose. If she was really having that much trouble, then Harper could help, but she didn't want to wake her for nothing.

"Vine?" Whippy asked with a yawn.

"Yeah, we'll catch up with her, no problem."

It would have been too easy to simply wait at Maya's favorite museum. They did check there first, but no sign of her sister. There was a modern art museum just a block over, so they walked there after, and still no sign of her. And the staff there wouldn't even let her take Sophia III in with her. They'd have to catch them at another one.

Kev finally texted her back, and mentioned heading over to the pokémon center to meet up with her. That worked for her, and she started back. She could hang out with him, until they found Maya and maybe his brother, she would see exactly two seconds of why he was so upset at him, and then she'd gladly play the hero and pull them apart. No big deal. Maybe it'd be cathartic.

Museum hopping with Kev would have been an entertaining way to spend the day, had Team Plasma not decided to stage a protest in one of the large parks bordering the artsy section of town Ree had been haunting. People were already crowding around the man with a megaphone and Ree instinctively pulled Whippy into her arms. The police would be on that in an instant, but Plasma had argued for peaceful protest in the past and won the right to. Despite their crimes, they still tried to argue for their right to shout at random people.

Just to be careful, Ree pulled Sophia III out of her belt loop. She grasped the cold aluminum, trying to hide it with Whippy, and approached. She was being cautious, but she was also curious. As far as she knew, Team Plasma hadn't undertaken any major demonstrations in almost two years. The organization had been dying, or so she had hoped. "We implore you," shouted the man with the megaphone, "trainers of Unova! Do not let these criminals get away with their thieving, their poaching, their harming of pokémon! Save our pokémon if you love our pokémon!"

That was not the message she'd been expecting to hear. "What criminals?" someone yelled back. It seemed like most of the crowd was pretty confused.

"Aren't you guys the criminals?" someone else shouted and there were murmurs of agreement.

"Those followers of Sayre! The ones who use pokémon only as tools for grabbing more and more power! They've threatened other governments, and now they are here, in our country too!" the Plasma guy said with a sincerity that was surprising.

Sayre, now why did that sound familiar? Ree tilted her head to the side, trying to recall it. Before she could, a bolt of electricity shot the megaphone out of the man's hand, melting it into an unusable mess. The group of people parted, eager not to affiliate with the figure who walked forward beside an eelektross slithering through the air. "The power lies with the trainers. That is a government-sanctioned fact, and that is why Team Plasma fell all those years ago!" the figure, revealing itself to be a woman, called with a glare. "It was normal trainers who stopped you from stealing and hurting pokémon!"

"We're only trying to save pokémon from abuse! It is from your sort of thinking that our underground sprang up so heartily!" the Plasma guy shouted back, undeterred. There were two others with him in uniform as well, and the lady with the eelektross was alone.

Or not; another trainer peeled from the crowd, releasing a scrafty. "The trainers are the ones who pushed you out the first time, and we'll be the ones to do it again! We have no problem exercising that power!"

This was going to end messily. Ree started backing up, making sure to keep Sophia III hidden, but she knew things were going to get _very_ ugly when a flamethrower shot overhead, making the crowd panic and scatter. Craning her neck, she didn't recognize the massive orange pokémon with flames dripping from its mouth, but the short kid with it certainly seemed like he wanted an excuse to burn things.

Ree was content with retreating on out of there until she saw Maya run out in front of the kid with the orange pokémon. The two Unovan trainers balked at his presence, until a third joined them and released a frillish, and then everything truly went to hell when the Plasma goons released a trio of pokémon to match.

People and pokémon screamed and ran, not wanting to get caught in anything that had become, and Ree fought her way over to her sister. "Return him, please! I'm sorry, but I can't—I won't let you do this! This is so bad, please, sorry, please just return him and we can leave—!"

"No! Those people have to be—don't they have to be caught?" the short boy asked with an edge to his voice.

"I'll make sure of it, but please, just return your pokémon and we can leave! Leave it to the police! This isn't your country to protect!"

"It's my problem to fix!" he said and then did something very stupid: he shoved Maya out of the way as he and his pokémon advanced.

Sophia III made contact with his shoulder with a satisfying sound and he crumpled with a hoarse shout.

Ree was knocked flat not a moment later and found a large, metallic bird standing over her. Whippy wiggled around in her coat with panicked hissing. She returned him, and the movement caused the bird to hiss and flare its sword-like feathers. "No, no, she's harmless! That's my sister!" Maya said, throwing herself in between Ree and the sharp beak. The bird backed off, and Ree had to do a double-take because for a moment, she thought it was _Kev_ who ran up. But he was taller, younger, with no glasses and far longer hair.

"You just tackled a pregnant girl!" Ree snarled and Kev's brother and the other kid both paled.

"_You_ just attacked a foreign champion!" Maya snapped back and smacked her in the shoulder.

"Okay, I think we should all take a step back and calm down. Yeah, let's do that." Another girl came onto the scene, all pale hair and big doe eyes, and she seemed to be the rational one. Ree bared her teeth at the metallic bird and Maya physically pulled her away. "Let's stop being targets for the other two, alright? Maya, what were the Plasma dudes doing? Are they the threat, or should we be looking at the other ones?"

"I-I think we should just bow out. Quickly. Please, return your pokémon, the UFOs will be here shortly to wrap this up."

"Yeah, let's not look like we were aggravating anything. We have to look nonthreatening, remember? Vai, down. Zach, return Des and don't shove the pregnant lady again. Other girl, if you hit him again, you _will regret it_. Okay, now then, we're all friends, right? Let's go," she said cheerily.

"I didn't shove her," the short boy replied moodily but returned his orange pokémon. Kev's brother kept his pokémon out, looking between Maya and Ree with wide-eyed confusion.

"I am so sorry," he said at last, and he even sounded like Kev, though his accent was more noticeable. It was getting weird. "Are you alright?"

Maya and the blonde girl grabbed at the two nearest—the short boy and Ree—and started walking them away very quickly. Glancing back, she found the reason: a trio of field operatives had finally appeared on the scene, barking orders at the Plasma people, despite the other trainers still having their pokémon out. Wait, that one looked familiar—

Ree and Allen locked gazes. "Yup, time to egress!" Ree said hurriedly as Maya broke into a run. She would question why _they_ were running from the UFOs later, after she was done running from them.

"Wait, Ree?!" came Allen's shout. She fell into a sprint, but he appeared before her with his damned elgyem, and she actually ran into him. Maya and Kev's brother skidded to a halt in front of the other operative he brought with him. "Ree, what are you doing here?"

"This is the one you told me about?" the other one asked around a cigarette.

"Yeah, this is her."

"Oh look, and she's with the Sinnoh delegates. How am I not surprised. At least they're in one big knot to cover."

Ree was still looking for a way to exit the clusterfuck of problems she just ran into. Allen, even if he was nice, probably wouldn't look kindly on assault of a foreign person, especially if he happened to be a champion. She glared at the frail-looking kid beside her. He barely came up to her shoulder. _He's supposed to be a champion?_

Maya's grip on her upper arm was like iron, probably knowing she'd bolt as soon as there was an opportunity.

And then there was a gunshot.

It was hard to tell who pushed who down, but they more or less fell into a pile with two UFOs standing over them, guns drawn. Maya and Ree were simultaneously trying to keep each other down _and_ see what was going on. Team Plasma had their pokémon back out, but they were hiding behind sparse trees for cover, looking terrified. The other operative was on the other side of the grassy area, crouched behind a parked car. A couple other trainers had hit the ground, either cowering or trying to peek around like they were, and even more were bolting from the scene. It was impossible to tell who had actually done what, since the only guns Ree could see were in the hands of the UFOs.

"That's the guy!" Maya suddenly shouted, making everyone but the men above them jump. She pointed wildly, trying to break free of Ree's grip on her shirt at the same time.

"What guy?!" the other girl replied in confusion.

"Does he have a gun?" Allen demanded and had his gun trained on the retreating figure.

"That's him! That's the one who stole Edgar a-and—"

Ree released her and Maya was halfway to her feet. Ree was already running for the man with the liepard. "Fuck, Ree! Get back here!" Allen shouted and not a moment later, a strong arm wrapped around her waist.

"That's a pokémon thief?!" one of the boys exclaimed behind them.

She was about to hit her would-be rescuer, but then she saw it was not Allen. The other operative, cigarette still clenched in his teeth, picked her up and deposited her back next to her sister, who had to be sat on by the other girl to keep her there. "Nathan, you take Tranjero and them and go back to the center. I'll meet you there. Tranjero, go."

"Wait—" Ree and the other operative began at once. But the elgyem belonged to Allen, so it was his orders he followed, and soon a pile of kids and a very annoyed smoker appeared in the pokémon center lobby.

"Great, just fucking great," Nathan bit out and holstered his gun at the nurse's horrified squeal.

Maya was crying, Ree had lost Sophia III in the teleport, Kev's brother was shouting about leaving his pokémon, the other boy was trying to hold him down, Nathan was swearing up a storm in an effort to get the elgyem to listen to him, and the other girl was the only one who seemed halfway sane anymore.

All she had wanted to do was have a day out with her sister.

Then she realized Kev was standing near the counter with his spoink. Sophia III's loss and Ree's missed chance at bloody revenge had to come secondary to the combeeline he made for their little group. She was the only one who started towards him, but perhaps tipped off by some sort of shit-was-about-to-go-down sense, Nathan looked up, too. "Kev, Kev no, let's talk about this—" This was less funny than it had been in her head.

It wasn't funny at all when he pushed past her, caught his very surprised brother by the shoulder, and punched him in the face. He had a gun and two pokémon trained on him almost at once and despite that, he raised his fist again.

That was how Ree and Kev ended up under armed house arrest in a pokémon center with foreign diplomats.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: It will take a lot for Maya to forgive Ree, and even more for Ree to forgive herself. The perpetrator of the crime against her sister has been identified, but that only muddles the issue. Ree couldn't care less about the foreign politics of it all; she wants revenge. Maya just wanted to appear professional despite her crippled team. Kev just wanted to never think about his brother again. But they're all stuck in a room together, with the added bonus of strangers, and Allen still hasn't come back...


	34. Of Consequences

Kevala came home from work that day to a burnt house, a burnt brother, dead pokémon, and dead parents.

Two pokémon had been saved: his brother's younger skarmory and his sister's absol. Vaikuntha himself had narrowly escaped the fire and had serious burns on his hands and back. Sama, like Kev, had come home after the fact to find their life up in flames.

Not much could be salvaged from the house. Autopsies showed that their parents, in their bedroom, had been dead before the fire had started, along with Kev's grumpig. Team Magma was suspected, but no one could prove anything, naturally.

Even if Kev knew that Vai had pissed off a bunch of Magma members just the week before.

He didn't say anything about that to the police. No one did. Everyone probably suspected it, anyway, but Magma and Aqua still had free reign on Hoenn in those days. It wouldn't do any good to say anything.

But Kev thought it.

He confronted his brother, only once, about it. They had both ended up in tears and his little skarmory had sliced his hand open over it. Because Vai still _had_ pokémon. Not like Kev. That very night, with a grief-stricken apology to Sama, he left. He didn't have anything more to offer their family, and he couldn't stand to be anywhere near the boy who took their parents and his team from him.

He tracked down a breeder he had worked with in the past; he bought a spoink egg that he hoped against hope was somehow his grumpig's. The odds were slim. He didn't have the courage to ask the breeder about it. He couldn't handle any more heartbreak.

He quit his job immediately after receiving his latest paycheck; he didn't care about anything after that. He took out all his money, split it evenly, and mailed half back to Sama and Ravi. The only guilt he felt was over the fact that he couldn't explain to his youngest brother why he was leaving. The only mercy in the situation is that Ravi hadn't had any pokémon to lose, too. Just more and more family.

Kevala left Hoenn as soon as he could. He worked briefly in Johto, and managed to earn an internship working in a gym in Unova. It was even farther from Hoenn; he took it at once. It wiped out what little savings he had to bring Visoka with him, but he would not leave his sole pokémon. He didn't bother calling anyone to tell them he was moving again. He didn't want them to know. Even he recognized it as a cowardly move.

Unova was harsh and xenophobic, but at least Kev finally had someone to argue with. No one knew who he was, what had happened, or even what a spoink was. He never had to see his past again.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty-Four**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Consequences

-.-.-

"This isn't funny! Let me go!" Ree snarled, yanking on the handcuffs, pulling Kev's arm along with them. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"I _saw_ you assault my charge," the ginger-haired UFO shot back. His name was Nathan, and he had only earned her (wary) trust by virtue of the fact that he had been with Allen earlier. But then he handcuffed her and Kev to the bed frame, and that was all it had taken to get on her shit list again.

"We have to go back!" Kev's brother said again, desperately. He had glued himself to Nathan's side, all but in tears, and not because of the bloody lip Kev had given him. "Koel is still back there!"

"I don't need two people bitching in my ears about this," Nathan growled. "We're all staying put, nice and friendly, until Tranjero heads back to grab Allen. He'll have your Koel, I'm sure, and some damn good answers for us."

"Is it really the smartest idea to let a skarmory loose without a trainer in an already panicked area? It wouldn't be hard to go back to grab him, really!" Alicia, the pale-haired girl with the doe eyes, said, once again proving herself to be the only sane one.

"And fucking unlock me while we're at it!" Ree howled.

"You two are troublemakers at best, and I'm not here to babysit! Now you, sit back down," Nathan said, glaring at Alicia, and then turned back on Kev's brother. "And you, get _off_ my arm! Your skarmory will have to stay put, and I'm sure it's fine. I know for a fact their feathers can deflect bullets."

"I _need_ my pokémon back!" he insisted and his voice cracked. It probably would have been sad in other circumstances.

"Heaven forbid you lose your pokémon," Kev spat. His brother flinched but didn't look at him.

"Just shut up! Stop antagonizing each other!" Nathan demanded. He stood up, trying in vain to detach the long-haired boy, and turned to Maya. "Aren't you supposed to be a mediator?"

"I-I am," she replied, but she herself still had tears in her eyes. Ree snarled like a feral pokémon and tried to rip herself free from the bed frame again. Kev growled right back and pulled her backwards. At least Nathan had the good sense to leave Maya alone after that.

"Look, I _really_ wish I could fix this for you. I do. But Tranjero is assigned to Allen, and the fact of the matter is that he _won't listen to me_. The only thing I can do is keep you little shits safe and try to catch him when he 'ports back for Allen." Nathan nudged the elgyem with his boot. The psychic gave him a listless stare. The UFO turned to the brunette boy, Zachary, the only one who wasn't comatose or yapping in his ear. "You got anything for me?"

"Vai should get Koel back," he replied after a fearful look at Ree and Kev.

"I can't do anything about that. I really can't."

"Fine then," Alicia said primly, and gently pulled Vai off of Nathan. She released a tall, pink _thing_ with huge blue eyes. Ree and Maya jerked back from it on reflex. "Ariala, do you remember the museum we saw earlier this morning? Back there, please. Vai, come here—"

"No!" Nathan shouted and lunged for them.

All four of them promptly vanished.

Maya hiccuped in the sudden silence. Tranjero buzzed, sounding disapproving. "That was a really bad idea," Maya said softly, as if afraid to make too much noise. "I _told_ you three that teleporting isn't free in Unova."

"Nevermind that, did she just teleport back into a fight?" Zachary asked with alarm.

"At least she has a bodyguard with her. Now get over here and unlock us," Kev said, calming without his brother in his immediate vicinity.

"You just attacked my friend," he replied accusingly. Tranjero continued buzzing, kicking his legs against the mattress.

"Friend," Kev snorted. "Right. Because you and I are going to pretend that he didn't just reunite with his skarmory, pluck a feather, and start slashing at anything within arm's reach?"

"You know, I'm really curious about those brother issues of yours and all, trust me, I am. But how about we get the fuck out of these things?" Ree asked and pulled at the handcuffs again. "How about a little help over here?"

"I-I don't have a key," Maya said.

Ree tried very hard not to roll her eyes at her sister. She was distraught, surely, and that's why she wanted to keep Ree's pokémon from her. That was it. And the low buzzing from the elgyem was only further serving to annoy her. "Release Whippy, or release one of yours."

"...I'm not sure that's a good idea right now," Maya said, a little more firmly.

Ree narrowed her eyes. "Are you _really_ going to keep my team from me?" she asked in the perfect mix of big sister threatening and regular warning.

"You just attacked another person right in front of me. I'm not giving you anything until I'm sure you've calmed down," Maya replied, and for a brief moment, Ree saw a flash of elite trainer Maya in there. "Both of you."

"My pokémon isn't a trained one," Kev said dryly.

"I've seen what even untrained psychics can do, the least of which is break the chain on those handcuffs."

"Look, we're calm. I don't have Sophia and Kev isn't frothing at the mouth any more. I just have to use the bathroom," Ree said, forcing herself to sound casual. It was a little easier since Tranjero had _finally_ stopped that buzzing of his.

"Hold it," Maya replied. "I'm going to keep things as they are until either Nathan or Allen return."

"Uh, where did the other psychic go?" Zachary interrupted.

Ree craned her neck back to look at the bed. The elgyem was gone. "Shit—that means that Allen's called him, right? He's on his way back?" Allen would be on her side. Okay, no, he would reprimand her, too, but he wouldn't chain her to a bed like a rabid pokémon.

But the longer she was handcuffed to Kev and stuck in the pokémon center, the further and further away went the poacher who had hurt Maya. Ree had barely gotten a glimpse of him, but at least she knew he was in the city, and even Allen had to give her some information after that mess. She was not above exploiting his sympathy for her. And boy, he had better have some sympathy for her.

A pink pokémon, a steel pokémon, and two teenagers abruptly returned to the room. They all had blood splattered on them, Nathan wasn't with them, and Kev's brother had a skarmory feather clenched so tightly in his fist his hand was bleeding, too.

Kev bared his teeth in a poor imitation of a grin. Ree was shocked to find he was _right—_what kind of fucked up family did he come from?

"Okay, so, that could have gone better, but look? We're all together again, we're all back at the pokémon center, it's all good again. Return Koel, and I'll return Ariala, and we can sit here and talk." Alicia caught sight of Kev, who Ree could feel had tensed beside her again. "You know what? I don't feel like talking anymore! Funny, right? Food! Food would be great. We had a light lunch, and who's hungry? I'm hungry. Maya, we can go get food, right?"

"We're not supposed to leave the room," she replied faintly, eyes on all of the red. Alicia looked down at herself, seemingly noticing it for the first time.

"It's not ours."

"Because that helps things," Zachary deadpanned.

"Let's get rid of this mess. That'll be something we can do while we wait. Come on, Vai, shirt off!"

Ree wasn't entirely sure if she was semi-forcibly stripping a suddenly meeker Vaikuntha to get Maya flustered again, or if she was really just trying to get them distracted, but that could work in her favor. "Wait, can I pee before you go rub soap all over each other?"

"Why would I want to wash him?" Alicia replied, nonplussed.

"Because hotness runs in the family. I don't know, you're the one with your hands all over him! But seriously, I'm pregnant. Means I have to pee a lot. I don't wanna piss on the floor."

Alicia and Vaikuntha exchanged a look. "She does not mean anything by that, sister," he said with a winning smile, at odds with the blood still streaked on his hands. "But you are right, both of you. Your name is Ree, correct?"

"Uh, yeah." She tried not to shrink back when he approached them with the skarmory feather still clenched in his hand.

"Please hold still," he said, still smiling. With a quick slash, the handcuff chain broke, and Ree and Kev stared at the gash the blade at left on the bed frame. "I am sure we are all friends here, and it would not be fair to—" He didn't get to finish his sentence since Kev had thrown himself at him, knocking the feather out of his hand. Ree caught him before anything worse happened, but he relented on his own, to her surprise.

Or it might have been because Alicia had deftly caught the feather and had it pointed at him. "Let's all be friends here," she said brightly.

"Please, there is no need for that," Vaikuntha said with a pout.

"You're still injured and don't need to be manhandled. Zach, would you be a dear and start a bath, please? We should really get rid of this blood before anyone else freaks out about it. Because we totally don't need more of that right now."

"Are you _all_ woobat-shit insane?" Kev asked, scowling down at the feather pointed at his chin.

"Did you really think Sinnoh was going to send just _anyone_ overseas after what's happened?" Alicia replied coolly. She lowered the blade and gave Vai a light smack with the flat side. "You, shower. Or at least lock yourself in the bathroom until someone gets back to us. Maya, you and your sister can go to the public bathrooms down the hall. Surely we're allowed to do that?"

Without warning, Tranjero appeared back in the room with a screech. His voice cracked and but he maintained the shrill sound, making them cover their ears and cringe, but then Ree laid eyes on the man he'd brought with him. Allen was on the floor beside the psychic, not moving. His black vest was darkened further by blood. "Allen!"

Tranjero continued screeching brokenly. Ree threw herself to her knees beside the UFO, gingerly turning him over, which elicited a groan. He had blood smeared all over his collar and hands, and as Kev knelt down to help her look for his injuries, the elgyem collapsed as well. He fell beside Allen, and from the new angle, they could all see the bullet hole through his head, cracked along the edges.

Allen's eyes fluttered open. "Nathan...?"

"No, it's Ree. What the fuck happened?"

"He's been shot," Kev supplied unhelpfully, pressing his hands down over a spot just below his collarbone.

Tranjero's screeching cut off without warning. "We have to get them down to the doctors," Ree said, heart leaping into her throat. "Allen, this is probably gonna hurt so just hate me for it later." She shoved her arms underneath him and tried to lift, and that went as well as expected, considering she was a teenaged girl trying to lift a grown man. Kev helped her pull him up into a sitting position, but he seemed unwilling to take his hands off of the wound.

They were suddenly dunked in blackness, and reappeared a moment later behind the desk in the lobby. That wasn't a teleport, but Ree had no idea what had happened. Zachary was beside them, helping pull Allen up, but the man was solid muscle.

"Oh my goodness!" the nurse on duty exclaimed, nearly falling out of her chair at their entrance. Zach and Ree jostled for helping Kev pull Allen up, but the nurse just shooed them all away with a terrified expression. "What the hell happened to him?"

"He's been shot. And his elgyem—" She whirled around, looking for Tranjero, but he was not there. "You left him up there?!"

"I brought him with us!" Zach asked, just as surprised. Ree and Kev started in shock as _something_ crawled up out of his shadow, something with a single, glowing red eye that looked strangely contrite. "Kostya, where's the psychic?"

"I took him with us, comrade. He teleported away," the pokémon replied in clear human speech.

"He was just shot through the head, he didn't teleport anywhere," Kev replied.

"Are there injured pokémon or not?" the nurse asked as a pair of audino helped pull Allen onto a stretcher.

"Yes! We just don't know where he went," Ree said and the poor woman looked at them as if they had dwebble crawling out of their ears.

"Can injured psychics teleport on their own?" Kev asked her.

"Yes, it can happen as a defense mechanism—"

"He would've gone to Allen! Allen's right here!" Ree all but shouted. "Who else has he ever worked for? Nathan said that he listened only to Allen!"

"Nathan! Maybe he went to Nathan!" Zachary said.

"Why? He didn't listen to him earlier!" she snapped back in exasperation.

"Please, if you'd all just calm down—" the poor nurse tried.

"What's the only word out of his mouth since he came back?" the brunette boy said flatly. "What if he took it as a command? Psychics are loyal, they'll obey their trainers even if they're injured."

"Okay, then where's Nathan?!" Kev asked.

"All of you, shut up!" the nurse yelled and the three fell silent. "If there are injured pokémon, find them and bring them here, or I'll call the UFO on duty to help you. If there are more injured people, do the same."

"_He_ was probably the UFO on duty!" Ree said with a flap of her arm in the direction Allen had been carted off. "And he was just shot! And his elgyem was...!" The nurse pushed them out into the lobby with a curious look at the red-eyed pokémon.

Gunfire, and an injured Tranjero had probably just headed back into it. Who even attacked a pokémon? Well, assholes and monsters did, and Ree had no pity for either. The poacher had been there. Allen and his pokémon had gotten hurt there. Nathan might, too.

"I need my pokémon."

"I don't like that tone of voice," Kev said.

"We're going to get Tranjero back here, grab Nathan, and find the son of a bitch who did this." And the other son of a bitch who hurt her sister, but the boys didn't need to know that.

"That's not a smart plan. That's not even a plan. That's just dumb violence."

Ree turned on Zachary. "You, you're the one who fired the first shot. You got mad at those poachers, or Plasma, or whoever. You got mad and if you're willing to get mad again, you're invited."

"I. Uh. I didn't..."

With a painful screech, the missing elgyem appeared behind the desk where Allen had just been. The nurse actually did fall over in shock that time. He only appeared for a brief flash, long enough to break their ears with another inhuman shriek, but there had been someone with him. A woman. One that Ree recognized. Both had been streaked with blood. They disappeared again, leaving a ringing silence.

The museums weren't terribly far from the pokémon center. Her pokémon and sister would be safe up in the room, and everything else be damned. While everyone else scrambled to figure out what had just happened, Ree turned and bolted out of the building. Someone shouted behind her, probably Kev or maybe the runt, but she was an athlete. Good for them if they could keep up, but she wasn't letting them drag her back.

She knew Castelia like the second hometown it was. That, and all she really had to do was follow the sirens. People and pokémon were rushing everywhere—away from the trouble to avoid it, and towards it to investigate. Or maybe help. Perhaps make things worse. Ree knew she was about to make someone's day a hell of a lot worse. But the person with Tranjero, she was unmistakeable. And it made _sense_, of course he would go to her and not Nathan, she was—

Ree had been counting on general panic to allow her free reign, but she had not been expecting more gunfire and police and UFOs being part of the general panic. Trainers and pokémon were still out, too, hyped up on the atmosphere and terror, and no one liked a panicked, trained team. One ambulance passed her going out, and another headed back in the direction of the pokémon center.

The museums were only a couple blocks away. Even with the mayhem, it wasn't a long run. Two cop cars were already parked near there, an ineffectual blockade, especially when there was a gyarados curled in the park with blue fire dripping from its mouth. A pair of massive birds swooped and circled overhead, squawking bloody murder, and several trees in the park had caught fire at some point.

It wasn't like she had been expecting the poacher to still be hanging around, but she had expected to see something other than a couple people pinned in vicious attacks. The silver lining was that she also saw Sophia III near the edge of the grass. Not that she was going to run into that mess to retrieve it, but it was nice to know someone hadn't made off with the bat to wreak their own chaos. That was her job. Supposedly. But the thought was even less funny when she was looking at the scene before her.

"Have any pokémon on you?" Crouched behind a bench half a park away from the battling pokémon and gun sounds, she hadn't expected to be found so soon. She was equal parts relieved and annoyed it was Nathan who'd found her.

"Where did you even get another cigarette?"

"Do you have any pokémon on you? Are you even a trainer?"

"Yes, I'm a trainer! But no, I don't, since _someone_ confiscated them all from me."

"That would be your sister."

"With your approval."

"Where is she?"

"Back at the hotel room, with the—"

Two others skidded up and pressed themselves flat against the bench on either side of them.

"...Well, she's with Alicia and Kev's brother, anyway," Ree finished. Kev gave her a look of absolute loathing for running off, and maybe she deserved it. Frankly, she deserved a lot for putting him in this situation, but that could come later. "Did you see a guy, maybe mid-twenties, dark skin, short black hair, wearing a white and red hoodie and jeans?"

"No, and do you two have any pokémon?" Nathan replied and turned to give Zachary a pointed look.

"...Yes," he mumbled in response.

"Good. Time to throw your weight around."

"Excuse you, but you still have two noncombatants here," Kev interjected.

"One," Ree corrected.

"Two."

"One. Sophia III is right over there and I'm going to make a break for it once these darling guards give me some cover."

Kev grabbed Ree with inappropriate roughness before she could even begin to think about running for it. He didn't relax his grip a bit and instead leaned very close, hissing, "Ree, this is not a fucking video game. You are a pregnant teenaged girl and you just ran into a small-scale war. You don't have any pokémon, or any _feasible_ weapons, and you don't get a respawn point. You're coming back with me the second Nathan says it's clear."

"He's got a point. Those are very real bullets," Nathan added dryly.

"Yeah, I know, one got Allen," Ree shot back.

Nathan's face slowly drained of color. "...What?"

"Allen was shot. He's at the center, they're treating him, but I'm aware this isn't a game. That's why I'm going to get my bat and find who did it."

She had a guess. She just really, really hoped she was wrong.

"...Those are followers," Zachary said quietly, the only one still peering over the edge at the people and pokémon fighting. "They were following Nick. Weren't they?"

"...It's likely," Nathan replied, more subdued. He ground out his half-finished cigarette and pulled his pistol from his shoulder holster. "Between the four of us, we have five pokémon. Three are champion-grade, but one of mine is new. I can't use her in good conscience. New plan."

Ree eagerly leaned in, against Kev's iron grip. "Go in, guns blazing?"

"No. I'm getting you three back. My job is to guard the Sinnohan champion, which is _you_, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you if you could fight, that's not what either of us are here for. We're retreating."

"Like hell we are!" She did not like the calmer, sadder Nathan. He could mope about Allen later, after he got the revenge out of his system. Look at how well it was working for her. "The man who stole my sister's pokémon was here, and okay, maybe he's not _here_ anymore, but I'm finding him!"

"We're going back to the center!" Kev demanded and Nathan nodded.

"Can Kostya shadow sneak us out of the immediate area?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"I'm not leaving until I have Sophia III and blood on my hands. You can help me find him, or I'll find him on my own."

"You're being an irresponsible bitch right now, do you know that?" Nathan asked shrewdly. "Stop that before I have to carry you back there myself. You _will_ cooperate."

Ree didn't particularly care about retrieving Sophia III—it was just a means to an end. She did, however, care about finding that pokémon poacher. She had a description and he couldn't have gotten very far, especially with the police and field operatives running about, but she just needed the firepower.

And as tempting as it was to try to shake down a small boy for champion-grade pokémon, she was not a thief herself. She was, however, not above manipulation. "I think I know who shot Allen."

Nathan froze up. Kev's hands momentarily went slack and she jerked herself out of his grasp. "_What_?"

"If not, then I have more of a lead than you. I'll trade you," Ree said lowly. She had planned on revealing this information after she could verify it herself, but hey, an armed guard never hurt anyone. "I'll tell you who, and I'll tell you _how_ to find them, if you find me the asswipe I'm looking for."

Ree liked Nathan significantly more when he did not hesitate in sticking his hand out. "Deal." Maybe he was hoping for information and legal routes. Maybe he'd do something stupid himself. But Ree shook his hand all the same.

"Do you _enjoy_ dragging others down to your level?" Kev asked acidly.

"I enjoy getting what I want."

"Spoiled, horrible, irresponsible child."

"We can work out your issues later," Zachary huffed and his red-eyed pokémon was back, its massive hands clamped over its mouth. "We can have this conversation back inside."

"No, I'm staying here with Nathan. We're finding this—" The UFO grabbed her by the back of the neck and shoved her down into their shadow. A brief jolt of disorientation, and they reappeared halfway down the street. "Hey!"

"Hold on tighter," Zachary grumbled, looping his arm in Kev's as they did it again. The feeling of _whatever_ they were doing made her stomach hurt, though, despite her wishing, it was not bad enough she could throw up. Nausea without an end in sight, just what she needed after a betrayal.

Nathan and Kev marched her back into the pokémon center and Zachary trailed behind them after returning his pokémon. "Maya, Alicia, and my brother are still upstairs, with our pokémon. Allen should be getting some treatment right now. And we—"

Maya wasn't in their room, and instead pounced on them as soon as they rounded the corner. She slapped Ree, and then hugged her, and neither particularly surprised her. "You dummy. Don't get kidnapped by foreign powers."

"I didn't kidnap her," the small boy replied.

"We're all back together now, so let's save the niceties for somewhere more private. How are Alicia and Vai?"

"They're not covered in blood anymore, if that's what you mean," Maya said hotly. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Unova's pretty strict on teleporting, so when someone appears on a scene, it tends to cause a knee-jerk reaction of expecting UFOs. And people weren't too friendly with operatives back there. Nothing too bad happened, at least nothing I'm going to admit to."

"Okay, but how about we talk about how you just lied to my face?" Ree broke in.

"I did not. You want to know—something." Nathan's eyes flicked over to Maya and Ree begrudgingly gave him the credit for avoiding making things worse. "And I can let you know that something. But running around in a panic with weapons and pokémon around is not the way to go about it. Come on, upstairs, all of you."

Ree unhappily found herself handcuffed to a bed frame for the second time that afternoon.

-.-.-

As it turned out, while he complained something fierce, Nathan was a pretty good babysitter. Which he had to be, with a group of very bored, very agitated trainers (and gym receptionist) in a confined space. No more injured psychics appeared, and Alicia didn't escape again with her pink thing, so the only thing that broke up the evening was the call to let Nathan know that Allen was stable and not in any further danger.

It was good news. Ree _was_ happy to hear that. She hadn't actually considered the possibility of Allen dying, least of all so suddenly, but with the situation as it was, other things were more important. Like the matter of the information she'd accidentally been sitting on.

Her initial plan had been to grab Sophia III, miraculously track down the poacher, beat him, and maybe kill him. Maybe. But it definitely ended up with Edgar back in Maya's team. And after that whirlwind of heroics and violence, she'd tell Nathan that something may be afoot. While she didn't want to keep it a secret, she knew some level of tact was required.

Her second plan had been much the same, except with Nathan helping her with a gun. That would've been nice. The logistics of it were still skewed to hell and back, but maybe he could call someone to give them a tip, and they'd find the asshole, and same thing. Then she'd simply turn him loose with the identity. He could get some sort of revenge for her. While she was pissed as hell at what happened to Allen, it hadn't sunk in yet. Not fully. Not as much as Maya.

And she couldn't reconcile who she had see with Tranjero. It didn't make sense, and maybe it was just a coincidence. It made sense that he would return to her in lieu of Nathan, so perhaps it was just that. Maybe she had just imagined the gun in her hands.

While it was delicate and probably somewhat time-sensitive, Ree was now stuck sitting on it. Because Nathan still wasn't keeping up his end of the bargain, and she wasn't going to get him all riled up again without getting something out of it. Vengeance for Allen came secondary to vengeance for her sister.

With the younger three—Maya, Alicia, and Zachary—eating pizza in the corner and Vai and Kev sitting at the furthest possible point from each other, and with a pokémon ban on the room, Nathan had little choice but to sit on the bed next to Ree. "I had to make sure you all were alright. You do understand that the situation before was stupid and dangerous, and that I'm still going to help you, right?"

"Maybe."

"Just because I don't charge off in the face of danger doesn't mean I'm not going to do something," he said mildly. "Allen is an old friend and I'm going to do something, believe me. But I know my job, and I know the value of doing things right."

"I'm sorry, I wasn't aware this was turning into a lecture," Ree replied, trying for sarcasm, but instead, it turned out kind of aggressive.

"He talked about you a lot. Constantly. You or Lenore, the entire time he visited me."

"He visited you?"

"He was in Sinnoh. I know he told you. He was gone for a week?"

"Yeah, I know—he visited _you_? You're the one he gave the beartic to?" she asked, both surprised and suspicious.

"Who else? How many UFO-trained friends does he have in Sinnoh?" Nathan replied with a confused frown.

"How am I supposed to know? I hardly know him," she lied. Okay, she might not know the man's entire personal history, but she knew he was a worrier, and used all of his sick leave on escorting girls around, and disapproved of any sort of danger, and may have been the subject of more than one dirty dream of hers. And if she hadn't suspected foul play, she totally would have understood him taking a bullet for someone.

"...Which is why I'm the one in charge of sorting out this information you give me," he prompted. Ree didn't take the bait. Allen _deserved_ a rash, passionate charge against his foes.

So did her sister. So she kept her mouth shut. She could tell herself he'd understand.

Nathan sighed. "Fine. What do you know about this guy?"

"About your age, probably? Dark skin and black hair, real short. He was wearing a red and white hoodie and some jeans. I don't know what sort of pokémon he has, but I know he has Edgar, a reuniclus he stole from my sister." Lowering her voice, she added in an undertone, "And he murdered my sister's starter. Maya's a good trainer, so he has to have some power. He's gotta be someone important. I think his name starts with an A or an O, something foreign sounding."

"That's pretty specific already," he replied with narrowed eyes. She didn't say anything else. Sighing again, he pulled out a phone and scrolled through the contacts. Eyes on the trio eating pizza, he tried to sound casual as he spoke. "Yeah, Delgado? It's Loar. God, what is that racket in the background? Listen, I'm in a bit of a situation and I was wondering if you could track down some information for me..."

Ree's blood ran cold. Delgado—Maria Delgado. Maria was the absolute _last_ person she would have guessed Nathan would call, but he was in a foreign country, and she had been a friend of Allen's, so it made sense they knew each other... "Hang up! Hang up right now!"

"Yeah, probably underground ties. Black guy with no problem dirtying his hands or stealing pokémon. Maybe foreign? Yeah, I—_ow_, shut up for a moment!"

"Hang the fuck up!"

"Get me everything you can on him, I'll call you back," Nathan growled and hung up. "What the hell is your problem?"

"I saw her! Tranjero brought her to the pokémon center after we moved Allen!" she hissed at him. Fucking hell, of all the people to call, it had to be her. "She was in active wear or mission gear or whatever you call it, what you're in. She was holding a gun!"

Nathan scowled. "_That's_ what I was bargaining for? Maria is an old friend of ours, and active duty UFO. She'd probably be in mission gear if she was, you know, on a mission."

"Okay, so who answers their cell phone while on a mission?"

"Maybe she's babysitting," he said. Then, after a beat of hesitance, he added, "Maybe she's on call. She was assigned to you while Allen was with me, so Tranjero was assigned to her. That's probably why he went back to her. First priority was taken care of, so he instinctively went to second priority."

"Does she know you're with me?" Ree pressed.

"Why would she? Why do you _care_? Did you not like her or something?"

"I know she was willing to bend the rules."

"So are _you_. Look, I don't know where you got this idea from, and I'm sorry I fell for it. If it helps, I'll call her back right now and see where she is."

That was a pretty terrible plan, but now that it was all out loud, Ree had to admit her thoughts were pretty terrible, too. She watched with a hooded expression as he dialed back and immediately winced as the call connected.

"Are you out on a mission? ...Oh, well, step outside or something. I can hardly hear you." He put his hand over the phone and mouthed, "She's out."

"What's all the noise? Why'd she answer her phone?" she shot back.

"Me? I was with Allen, you know that. ...Yeah, I do know what happened. I guess word travels fast. You got any of that information for me? I think I might have a lead. Yeah, uh-huh. No, I'm still with them. ...Uh, yeah, why? You're awfully skittish, Delgado. Makes me feel pretty skittish, too."

The terrible screeching returned to the room, along with two women. Maria slid her phone shut and said calmly, "I just wanted to know if you were with her. Needed a lock on someone."

The pretty blonde on Tranjero's other side turned a gun on the nearest—Kev. He ducked back against the wall, but she followed the movement as a reflex. "Nathan, how good to see you."

"Sara," he ground out.

Feeling vindicated sort of sucked when it involved guns and a broken psychic. Maria raised an eyebrow as Ree tugged on the handcuffs again. "I should've tried that."

"And here I thought you liked escorting me across the region."

"It was fun, I'll give you that. I liked you, and I really like what an easy target you make for fast travel. I also like that you're all in here together." Hands on her wide hips, Maria turned and looked at the other three. "Remember, kids, bullets are faster than pokeballs. We aren't here for anything stupid like killing you all, and we don't even care that you know who we are. You cannot fathom how few shits I give about this entire situation."

"Then why are you here?" Nathan asked, eyes darting over to Zachary and Alicia. They, along with Maya, were sitting in the corner by the television, nearest the bathroom. Kev was on the bed next to them with a gun on him. Vaikuntha was closest to the door, and closer to them, and Ree was still stuck on the bed. It was a lovely situation overall.

"For the new champion, that's all," said the blonde woman.

"You were a reporter," Alicia said with wide eyes. "You covered the gym race."

"You were part of the group Kostya threw out to sea..." Zachary added as he buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry about that, I really am—"

"Do you really think I care about a swim?" she snapped.

"Well, you have come back to admittedly target him and you are sort of rocking the angry militant woman look. A look I approve of wholeheartedly, may I add, and I _love_ your hair. How do you get it to stay up like that when you're so busy threatening people?"

"I don't care a lick about a newbie gym leader, little girl, so please stop wasting your breath."

Alicia gave a shrug, as if to say 'I tried'.

"So in the spirit of not-harming us, can you unlock me?" Ree asked loudly. Keeping them talking would be a good idea. Kev and Maya looked scared shitless, but the Sinnoh kids weren't nearly as gun shy, apparently. Truth be told, Ree wasn't comfortable with them, either, but someone had to keep them busy.

"Sure. Too bad your latest bat isn't here," Maria said, nodding Nathan over. "Unlock her. What sort of pervert handcuffs a pregnant chick to a bed, anyway?"

"Your jokes would be funnier without the guns," he mumbled as he moved to unlock her. He got entirely too closer to her, physically leaning over into her space, but pointedly avoided her eyes. She didn't get it until she glanced over at what he was staring at.

The skarmory feather. It was under their backpacks near the foot of the bed.

She had to work on her sense of self-preservation. She was pregnant, after all. But she finally caught Nathan's eye and thought _let's do it_ with all her might. Hopefully he got the message.

"So, now that we're all comfortable, let's talk. Here's how this is going to work. We take the kid and we fuck off, and that's it. We don't want your pokémon, we don't want to keep you quiet, we won't hurt a hair on anyone's head if we keep it this simple."

"I'm his bodyguard," Nathan reminded them.

"That's why I'm talking mostly to you," Maria replied. "No offense to you kids, but I come across trainers like you on a daily basis. Strong trainers and teams, to be sure, but when it comes down to it, just separate them. That's it. That's all you need to win. They're just a bunch of kids without it."

Ree knew what was coming. She turned and gave Kev's brother the most pointed look in the world just as Nathan lunged at the blonde woman. Ree kicked the feather at him as Maria went for her gun. Several things happened at once, and it took her a moment to process it all.

Nathan pulled the woman's gun arm away from Kev, and Vaikuntha, armed with a sharp, steel feather, was nearer Maria. But he didn't go for her. He pushed past her, raising the blade against the other woman, and Maria whirled around with gun drawn to follow his movement.

Then, she and Tranjero promptly vanished.

The feather came down on the remaining woman's extended arm, which was out nicely thanks to Nathan struggling to disarm her. Someone screamed, and Ree knew it wasn't the woman, because she only stared as he fought to free the feather embedded in her arm. "Vai, down!" It turned out to be Alicia. She all but tackled him, sending them crashing into Ree, and she gladly helped pin him down.

Maria didn't reappear and the woman was soon pinned by Nathan, even as he fought to put pressure on her arm. "Okay, that was the single stupidest fucking thing to happen in my entire professional career, so I'm not in the mood for any more bullshit, Sara."

"Okay, you know her, you know everyone, so tell us what's going on?" Maya squeaked. Pokémon had finally been released; Zara had an arm full of needles pointed at the woman, and Zachary had a blue bird with cloudy wings and fire dripping from its beak behind him.

"Sara Grace Kellner, graduated at the top of our class. Graduated, and promptly dropped out of security and military career paths. Last I heard, you were back in Sinnoh. What happened, Sara?" Nathan asked, baring his teeth at her.

She continued to stare at her arm. "...Can't I visit an old friend like you did?"

"We'll get you to see the doctors if you start answering things a little more helpfully. The knife didn't go that deep, I'm sure they can save the arm."

"I don't care if Sayre is dead or not. I don't care if every team in the world is gone. All I know is that those in power aren't the ones with the power." Sara Grace Kellner turned to look up at Nathan. She still had not raised her voice or shed a tear despite her maimed arm. "Nathan, come now. You're smarter than this. You know Sinnoh and Unova can't be saved. Hoenn's going, too."

"I'm in the private sector. I don't care about governments or politics."

"Then why are you here? Why are you protecting a champion in a foreign land?"

"Because the kid needs it. Because I've seen firsthand what people like _you_ do when they're grabbing power. Who else is working with you two?"

She turned away from him and caught Ree's eye. She noticed she had mismatched eyes—one hazel, one blue. Top of a UFO class, a past as a reporter, and now some sort of renegade. "What sort of trouble did you Sinnoh guys bring with you?"

"You can't hide forever behind trading walls and isolationism," Sara Grace said and closed her eyes. "Sayre offered a catalyst in Sinnoh. We're riding the coattails. But you can relax, Nathan, it's all gone south, anyway. Plasma ruined things here, the psychic did not work like Maria thought it would, and I'm sure no one else got out of this unscathed."

"Did you shoot Allen?" Nathan asked quietly.

She did not answer him.

-.-.-

"I'm not cut out for this political espionage thing," Ree said with a tired sigh. It was nearing midnight.

Maya patted her knee awkwardly. "Welcome to the global world, I suppose."

"Pretty shitty place to be."

"Yeah, it is."

The sisters fell silent. They had the hotel room to themselves—Alicia had insisted on staying with the boys, despite Nathan's halfhearted protestations. It was better than the pokémon center, and neither complained about the sudden upgrade. Witness protection had its perks, if that's what it could be called. Ree wasn't entirely sure what it was, besides a mess.

"Do you think Kev is doing alright?"

"His brother tried to cut through a woman to save him. What do you think?"

"...Would you do the same for me?"

"In a heartbeat."

"That's not funny, Ree."

"I know it's not," she said. "...Things got fucked up, real fast. I'm glad you're okay."

"Will _you_ be okay?" Maya pressed. "I know you liked that UFO, and if they think there's a betrayal in their ranks, then..."

"He'll be fine. Kev will be fine, after the hangover he's sure to get tomorrow. Maybe those kids of yours will be fine, too."

"I was just supposed to escort them around, not have them wind up in a kidnapping attempt," she groaned and pressed her palms against her eyes. It was Ree's turn to awkwardly pat her. "I'm surprised Alder hasn't appeared yet to chew me out. This is such a mess."

"Well, at least we got one of them?" It sounded hollow, even to her. Maria was still out there with an injured Tranjero. It was unclear how hurt he actually was, but he had some amount of consciousness left if he could teleport her out of there. Just like how he tried to drop her off before.

Her phone went off with a text alert. Probably Kev, starting whatever drunken rambling they'd get that night. Not that she was upset with him; he deserved to deal with that however he liked. She was actually pretty jealous she couldn't join him.

But it was not from Kev. It was from Maria. "_Antoine Pollock. Give him hell. xoxo_"

_That fucking bitch_. If Maria was smart, she would ditch the phone soon. Maybe she'd ditch Tranjero somewhere. Hopefully—he needed medical attention, not to be carted around like an unpredictable tool. And she understood wanting to fuck with people by acting different ways, but why did Maria offer her that information?

She had to stand to gain something by turning Ree, who she knew was prone to stubbornness and violence, against a pokémon poacher. But what? Her only known ally was in prison or a hospital, and everyone else knew her name and face. She either left Tranjero somewhere and had one less method of travel, or kept him with her for the same reason she grabbed him at first, but surely the UFOs had methods to track their own pokémon.

She didn't want to help anyone who'd betray her friends, comrades, potentially _country_ for hazy reasons. But she _did_ want to hurt that man.

It was only a name. It wasn't like Maria had handed over a location and times he regularly slept. Ree didn't know a thing about the guy, other than the fact that he was strong enough to beat her sister and take a highly-trained psychic.

Plasma was doing stuff, Sinnoh's issues were bleeding into Unova, and now, the UFOs had problems. Peachy.

Ree waited until she was positive Maya was sound asleep before creeping out of bed. She had to be dead tired after that day. Ree herself felt ready to collapse. But first, she had something to do.

She only took Whippy with her out into the night. It was a pity there weren't any sports stores open that late, since she would've felt better with a new Sophia, but oh well. Strangely, having her life threatened didn't make her any warier than normal. Only madder.

"I need to see Allen Pershing."

"Young miss, it is almost two in the morning. Visiting hours are _over_."

"I need to see him," Ree replied and on her shoulder, Whippy added a hiss. The receptionist didn't bat an eye. Ree blurted out the first thing she could think to get her in. "He's my fiance."

"Then why are you visiting him at two in the morning?"

"Do you want me giving you a headache this late at night? Because today's just about sapped all my patience and then some."

"You have thirty minutes. Don't wake anyone and don't get handsy."

Impressed that it worked, Ree tried not to look at the bland hospital decor. They were rapidly becoming her least favorite place. So, she had a fiance now, that was something. Scott was probably having nightmares across town. If he was still in town. Oh, she hoped he had already left, but after the concert, she had been so keen on avoiding contact she hadn't answered his calls or texts...

Ree found Allen's room and froze in the doorway; Nathan was dozing in the chair next to the bed. Of _course_ he would stay with his injured friend. Everything about her plan was stupid and not at all thought out, but there was stupid and then there was just _dumb_.

A hand came down on her head and she jumped a foot in the air. Whippy fell off and she barely caught him in her arms. "Shh," Lenore whispered, finger placed against her lips. "Come with me. Don't wake them."

Okay, and maybe she should've expected Lenore to be around, too. Sleep deprivation was addling her sense, that was it. That and absolutely nothing else. Lenore led her to a small, empty office and gently pushed her into a chair, and then placed a cup of water in her hands. Whippy immediately stuck his snout in it. "Ser?"

"How are you doing?" Lenore asked, sitting down across from her.

"I'm engaged now," Ree replied humorlessly.

"I'll make sure to get Allen something nice."

"How do you know it's him?"

"It's certainly not your boyfriend, nor your sister. And from what Nathan told me about how well you got on with the Sinnohan delegates, it's not any of them."

"You're missing Kev."

"I'm not sure I've had the pleasure of meeting him personally. I'm not sure tonight would make for good first impressions."

"Well, probably not. He's probably getting blackout drunk after his brother tried to cut through a woman to get to him. I think to save him. I'm not entirely sure, and it's stuff like that that makes me very, very glad I have Maya."

"Sinnoh's problems are its own. I recommend avoiding them from now on," Lenore said mildly.

"You don't have to tell me twice. I'm pulling Maya out from it all, too."

"A good idea."

They fell into silence. Lenore was a doctor. She probably didn't want to hear about Ree's thoughts of revenge, or a recap of the day's events. "...How do you know Allen and Nathan?"

"I knew most of them. My husband was a UFO, back when I was a field medic. I worked with the organization extensively before I retired. That included some of their classes."

"Why did you retire?"

"...Things happen, sometimes. But I helped train Allen's class. My last, incidentally. A bunch of terribly smart kids, really, and it was a disappointment to most everyone when so few of them actually joined the Unovan Field Operations. Nathan and Sara Grace were the top of their class, and neither of them signed up. Nathan didn't have the loyalty. I don't know about Sara Grace, and after what happened today, I don't think I want to know."

"Might want to check in with the rest of their classmates," Ree deadpanned.

"I can assure you that the organization will be investigating things very thoroughly. You shouldn't expect to officially see Allen anytime soon, if he ever gets reassigned to you. Playing guard dog to you was only a favor for me, nothing formal. We'll have to see each other from now on the old-fashioned way."

"You're not grounding me. I'm continuing my travels."

"We'll just have to schedule meeting places in advance. I can travel just as well as you can," Lenore said.

"...Antoine Pollock." Lenore's eyebrows disappeared beneath her bangs. "Do you know the name?"

"How do _you_ know the name?" That more or less confirmed that Antoine Pollock was _someone_, so Maria very well could have been telling the truth. At least on that. "Ree, would you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Stop chasing danger. You're pregnant. You have another life inside of you, and there is some responsibility in that. Responsibility not to get into further trouble, especially trouble of your own making."

"I'm staying out of politics from now on, believe me."

"Not just that."

"...Just for my sister. Then I'm done."

"Don't pursue Antoine. He's far above your skill level, and you know that. If I get the smallest hint that you're serious about tracking him down, I will have Allen up your ass so fast you'll be spitting elgyem."

"Is he going to get another one? What will happen to Tranjero?"

Lenore's expression softened. "...I don't know. It's rare that an elgyem is separated from its handler, especially injured in such a way. But I'm sure they'll find him soon."

Ree thanked her doctor and offered empty promises of staying safe. She even made a show of getting a cab from the hospital. She was not, however, going back to the hotel to sleep; they arrived at Kev's apartment complex soon after. It took some pounding on the door, but eventually he answered, only in pajama pants and with sleep-mussed hair. "What the hell do you want? Haven't you ruined my day enough?"

"You were sleeping?" Ree asked in shock.

"What does it look like?"

"I thought you'd be sobbing into a pint of ice cream or half a bottle of whiskey by now."

Kev ran a hand over his face and let her into his place. "I work tomorrow. I'm tired. I just wanted to sleep."

"You didn't want to, you know, talk about what happened?"

"What is there to talk about?"

"Well, your brother—"

"I am _used_ to my brother and his acts of violence towards anyone he deems a threat. And no, I don't want to talk about it. That's why I left as soon as I was able. Are all the UFOs finally gone?"

"Eh, they're all in a pile at the hospital."

"...So why are you here?" Kev asked, squinting at her in the dim light.

"Can I use your computer?"

"You're serious."

"You're the only one I know in Castelia who I trust." She thought about batting her eyes or making it sappy, but it fell flat, anyway. Kev waved her into his room to the desk with a laptop on it, and then collapsed back onto his bed. Visoka looked up sleepily from the pile of blankets.

She thought he had drifted off again as she googled the name Maria had given her. To her immense surprise, it actually showed some significant results: there were several news articles and even a short wiki article about the man. Son of a semi-renown Ranger from Kalos, he lived in Unova and had several public run-ins with the law. But he always got out of it without jail time or anything permanent. He was even theorized to be a major antagonist to the field operatives. Which, naturally he _was_, but for public opinion to catch onto that, he had to be something big or nasty. Probably both.

So Maria might not be shitting her. The photos certainly matched the glimpse she got earlier. Which meant Ree might have a concrete target, and Maria definitely had something to gain by taking him out, or at least distracting him with a human tail.

"What are you looking at?" Kev asked from the bed, making her jump.

"Go back to sleep."

"I'm not sleeping around other people again anytime soon."

"I'm done here, anyway. I'll send you a fruit basket as thanks."

"Get the hell out of my flat. And if you _ever_ try to get me near my brother again..." Kev trailed off, either unable to come up with a threat in his tired state or leaving it up to her imagination. It did the trick either way.

"I'm sorry, Kev. I want to you know that I am so, so sorry for how today went."

"Yeah, well, this world is fucked up. Next time you add to the amount of fucked up in my life, you're out of it. Got it?"

"Yeah. ...Sorry. I'll let myself out."

Ree sat down on the stoop outside the building and scratched Whippy. He'd been dozing off and on since the cab ride, and even past that, he was unusually quiet. Maybe he sensed something had happened. Maybe he was tired, too.

She thought, briefly, how she'd react if any of her classmates turned into brutal traitor, especially if they had combat and weapons training. Maybe it was a good thing she had never gotten into the military. Instead she was just running around with incredibly strong pokémon at her beck and call. Maybe not incredibly strong, but strong, and always getting stronger. The entire region was like that. The entire _world_.

But Ree didn't care about the world. She barely cared about Unova as a whole. If it trained people and then let them fuck off and do as they pleased, it was their own fault. ...Then again, wasn't that how trainers worked, too? Earn enough badges and suddenly, someone could get a lot of leeway with the law. _Maybe Antoine has badges_, she thought idly. Maybe there was some way to check, but she doubted it. Maybe Kev could check to see if he had Burgh's badge, but it would be a long time he trusted her again, especially to the point where it'd put his job in jeopardy. Again.

"Oh, this is a mess we've gotten ourselves into," Ree sighed and Whippy stretched across her lap, allowing her better access to his stomach. "At least you're with me, mister."

"Ser," he replied.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Damned if she does, and damned if she doesn't, Ree is caught up in the aftermath of what's just conspired. Kev is rightfully still angry with her, and Maya is more distant than ever, leaving one pregnant teenager without much of a support system. Her team's there for her... except when they aren't. Allen can't be, Nathan's back to Sinnoh with the delegates, and Lenore doesn't trust her as far as she can throw her. It'd be real nice to have a loving, supportive boyfriend right then, but we all know how that one went for Ree. Maybe it's just time for her to grow up and move forward, at any cost.


	35. Of Not Being A Parent

"Oh my god, she looks so cute," Scott gasped with wide eyes.

He covered his mouth with his hand and actually blushed, causing Maya to giggle. "That dress of hers isn't new, haven't you seen it before?"

"Well, no, but—she straightened her hair! Look at that hat! She's so _cute_, fuck." He hid his face in his hands and turned away. They were at a party for the new year, with a flapper-era theme, and as with any sort of challenge, Ree went all out. Maya had been dolled up by her sister's hand, too, but Ree clearly took great pleasure in her own costume. Her tall, thinner frame was well-suited to the straight figure the dress created, and she had not only straightened her curly hair, but had cut it into a more period-appropriate bob.

"Jeez, you're like a dude seeing his bride for the first time." Maya rolled her eyes at him. Scott loudly feigned a sob, collapsed onto her shoulder, and made it her turn to redden. "G-Get off! So squish your girlfriend instead!"

She gave him a shove in her direction, and, laughing, he walked over to the couch Ree was leaning on and threw himself onto it. On his knees on the cushions, elbows on the back, he stuck himself literally into her conversation with a fond smile. "Can I help you?" Ree asked.

"Just looking at my incredibly adorable girlfriend. Carry on."

"Wow, way to ruin the conversation," Carly snorted. "I'm not going to stay anywhere near you if you're going to go get all mushy on each other. Keep in mind your single friends tonight, huh?"

"Here, Scottie, drink this." Ree handed him a glass of something and pattered off after her disappearing friend. He looked down at it. It looked like koolaid, probably mixed with something, but it was _red_.

Scott stalked her through the party, torn between protective instincts and warm fuzzies, and neither mood was helped with the addition of alcohol. Carly refused to be anywhere near the supposedly happy couple, Maya lost her patience at his cooing over her sister, Jonah was too immersed in defending his _Mario Kart _title for either of them, and he really wished he could have brought his pokémon to help corral Ree.

Not that she actually needed to be corralled; she had every right to do what she wanted without him. They had plenty of mutual friends. Scott sighed into the fourth drink she'd passed off to him. He had mostly non-trainer friends, and it showed, especially in their social outings. He loved them all dearly, but parties with pokémon were far more fun. They just had to be handled differently.

"Have you been drinking nothing but koolaid mixed with stuff?" he asked suspiciously as he peeked out around the edge of the sliding glass door.

Ree groaned and pointed at him with her fancy cigarette holder. He followed the movement, impressed at her dedication to her outfit, and hardly heard anything she said. Something about doing what she wanted and not wanting a tail and it not being midnight yet.

"You're not drunk enough yet to forget that you shouldn't be downing a bunch of red stuff."

"I'm not drunk enough yet to want your policing. I'll see you in twenty minutes, Scottie."

Midnight on New Year's Eve found the two huddled in one of the bathrooms. Ree was throwing up, only slightly because of the alcohol, and Scott was patiently holding her hat and rubbing her back with his other hand.

Oh well, there was always next year for a party with pokémon.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty-Five**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Not Being A Parent

-.-.-

"Coffee?" Maya asked, holding out a styrofoam cup.

"No thanks. Didn't know you drank it," Ree replied. It was still early enough in the morning that coffee sounded nice, especially considering how tired she felt, but she didn't have the energy for caffeine. Maybe she just wanted to mope.

"Started after my sixth badge." Her sister sat down on the balcony beside her and stuck her legs through the gaps in the railing. The morning was overcast and misty, and the city hadn't fully woken up yet. Most of their pokémon were still asleep, but Lala sat between them, stubby legs stuck out, mimicking their pose. The damp morning stuck to her fluff.

"Kev's still mad at me."

"He has a right to be. I'm mad at you, too," Maya said without any real heat. "Yesterday, a lot of that could have been avoided if you hadn't insisted on trying to find us. Or brought him along."

"I didn't bring him along," she said flatly. But she had tried, and they both knew it.

"I could've handled things."

"How? You were as scared as anyone else."

"I'm still the better trainer." At last, there was the undercurrent of anger. Maya sipped at her cup with a glance down at Lala. Ree was sure the whimsicott was actually napping again rather than staring out at the city in a melancholic fashion like her trainer.

"You would've been in that sort of situation, and I wouldn't have known or been there for you. Maria and Sara Grace probably would've gotten away."

"I wouldn't have let that happen."

"How? You don't know how to shoot a gun—"

"Neither do you," Maya said irritably.

"—and it's not like you know any martial arts," Ree finished, undeterred. "All you have is a really strong team. And even now..."

"I could've done something, and even if I couldn't, it's not your job to look after me. You're my sister, not my parent, and even if you were, I'm legally an adult."

"It's not my job, but I'm still gonna do it."

Lala yawned loudly and fell backwards with a sleepy snort. She ended up half-propped against Maya's thigh. Ree watched as her sister's expression became a little less hard.

"You have five badges, right?" Maya asked.

"Yeah. Why?"

"At six, you can legally take on mercenary jobs for the government," she said tonelessly. "Not that they advertise it. You've probably noticed the perks to getting more badges, right?"

"A couple. Not that one, though. What do seven and eight get you?"

She turned back to the grey landscape and swung her feet. "Just more trouble. I guess you'll figure it out. ...You know, there's not as many of us as you'd think, people with eight badges. We have the highest dropout rate for trainers of any major region, and the last four badges are a lot tougher than the first four. They try to keep the numbers low, but between Drayden, Iris, and Marlon... You can choose any of the top-tier badges you want to get, but you can't avoid both."

"I thought Iris was a champion." Ree knew enough to remember that Unova let anyone to beat the elite four and reigning champion have the same title, but she hadn't heard that Iris was still a gym leader. Come to think of it, she didn't know a lot about the last gym leaders.

"She is. But she still helps run the gym in Opelucid, and ever since all the Plasma stuff happened, it's easier to let Alder be the public face again. Honestly, I think the job was too hard for her. I've seen how Alder takes it..." Maya shook her head. "I shouldn't be gossiping. Have you thought about which gyms you'll challenge for your last three badges? Your team isn't very large, and sort of grass-heavy. I can give you some advice, if you'll take it."

"There's one in Mistralton, but they're snowed in. Icirrus is _always_ snowed in. You said there's one in Opelucid, but that's the hard one, isn't it?"

"Then there's one up in Humilau. That's one of the newer ones. Flying, ice, dragon, and water. ...Two major type disadvantages, and the other two are nightmares. Do you want advice?" Maya pressed.

"Yeah, I guess," she replied, since it seemed like she wanted to go somewhere with that.

"Don't jump at Marlon just because he's a water gym leader. He's tough, up there with Drayden and Iris. And he doesn't like type advantages on him. And since you only need three more... Give up one of them. It might be tempting not to throw your team against birds or ice pokémon, but they're easier, trust me. And buff up your team. Don't get another grass pokémon. I know they're nice, I love them to death, but don't do that to yourself. And..." And Maya suddenly had fat tears running down her cheeks.

She didn't cry noisily. In fact, it took a beat for Ree to even process that she was crying at all. The younger sister stared out at the city, bottom lip quivering, tears silently rolling down her face. Ree didn't know what to do. When Maya was sobbing loudly, she wanted comforting. When she left the room to cry, then she wanted to be alone. But this was neither, and it wasn't something the elder was accustomed to seeing.

So as much as it pained her, she let her cry and just stayed beside her. It was Maya who broke the quiet again. "I-I don't deserve my badges," she said with the barest hint of a quaver in her voice.

"Of course you do. You earned them."

"Bo and Edgar helped me earn most of them. All of them were with Bo. My team is smaller and weaker and grieving. I... Alder shouldn't have asked me to help with the Sinnoh delegates." She squeezed her eyes shut, hands fisting on her pants. "He _shouldn't_ have, he knew what my team is now! He knew there could have been trouble. He knew, and he still asked _me_, because all he was worried about was keeping things quiet...! He shouldn't have, but he _did!_"

At that, Ree leaned over and wrapped her arms around her. Maya hiccuped and then broke into subdued sobbing. Lala, between them, growled at the sudden squishing and climbed into Ree's lap, then tensed when she noticed what was going on.

Lala placed a small paw on Maya's leg. "...Scott?"

"I want to hate him, Ree," Maya whispered harshly against her neck. She pulled away, avoiding her sister's eyes, and instead looked down at Lala. Her expression broke all over again. "I-I _want_ to hate him so bad."

"You're allowed to. You don't have to forgive him for—"

"It's not that." Maya pulled away from her, and Ree let her scoot over for some space. Wrapping her arms around herself, she said, "I'm too scared to. I know what the elite trainers are like, and I know what the training government is like. It's so, _so_ problematic, and Alder knows that. Everyone knows that. That's why Plasma hasn't fully left, it's why those followers from Sinnoh found root here, and it's why assholes like pokémon thieves and hunters aren't better controlled. What else would I do, if I were in his place?"

Ree didn't have an answer for her.

-.-.-

The morning news had a recap and explanation of the previous day's events. They were clearly trying to pin as much of the blame as they could on the Plasma members, but every bit of footage they showed rang out against it. The foreign kids were hardly mentioned.

Maya had asked if she wanted to say goodbye to any of them. She was being polite, and maybe she did mean well, but Ree didn't want to. They were probably nice kids, underneath all of the trouble they brought with them, but she wasn't feeling adult enough to think about them that way. They were just the trouble they brought with them. Instead, while Maya was gone, she visited the hospital.

Nathan wasn't in Allen's room anymore, but the blond man was awake and chipper. "I was wondering when you'd show up, dearest! I just got the news of our engagement this morning."

"Where's Nathan?" Ree asked, not having the will to care about her poor choice of cover. It didn't seem any funnier then than it had the night before.

"Left with his charges. Where else would he be?" asked his friend in the hospital with a gunshot wound.

He didn't have the loyalty, Lenore had said. Ree understood what she had meant. "...You probably heard about everything?"

"Everything and then some," Allen said brightly. He patted the bed next to him. Ree continued eying the chair, but made no move toward either. "So, you got a name. Where did you pull that from?"

"Is it him?"

"...Probably." At least he was being honest with her. It was enough to let her perch on the very edge of his bed. His chest was wrapped in bandages over a visible wad of gauze pressed against a spot just below his collarbone. "I'm not made of paper. You can actually sit with me."

"You're not made of paper, but you're not made of steel, either. You don't deflect bullets like metal birds."

"Well, no, I don't. But do you want to know a secret?" She wasn't sure she could handle any more, but she nodded. "This isn't the first time I've been shot. It probably won't be the last. Still hurts like a bitch, of course, but it's a _little_ better when you know sort of what to expect. And it's definitely better when it doesn't go through a lung."

"I've seen your chest, you don't have any scars," she replied with narrowed eyes.

"Field operatives get the best medical treatment in the country. And I have my own audino, so I usually get patched up pretty quick."

"...Yeah. Good."

He noticed the way she frowned and tried to pull her over closer. She noticed the way he cringed as he moved his shoulder. "Hey, they'll find Tranjero. It's hard for a psychic to go missing for long. And whoever it is that's taken him will pay."

Ree stiffened. "...Whoever it is?" she repeated numbly.

"Look, I know you know it's been some sort of traitor. You were there for chunks of it and I'm sure you grilled Nathan or Lenore afterwards. Not that you _need_ to know all of this, but I won't play dumb about it if you don't," he chided and squeezed her hand.

So _that's_ why Nathan left. "S-So you don't know who shot you...?"

"No, they got Tranjero first. I panicked and they shot me while my back was turned. Cowardly, huh? But smart. ...Anyway, after that, it turns into a haze of pain and a lot of medication for said pain. I'm sure I'll get fifty billion reports about it later."

He didn't know. He didn't know, and Nathan had run back to his job in order to avoid being the one to tell him. Someone would tell him, but knowing—but suspecting it _first—_and not telling him... "Uh, yeah, I'm sure you'll have tons of paperwork to fill out about it. There's nothing like filling out forms while bleeding on them, r-right?"

She couldn't tell him. She was an unofficial source, someone he already worried over, and she was too afraid to tell him he'd been betrayed by friends. She couldn't tell the guy who was beaming at her in his own hospital bed, looking far too much like a lillipup hoping to please, hoping to be the one to make _her_ day a little better. She didn't deserve him. She didn't deserve Kev, or Maya, or Harry, and definitely not Scott, and least of all Allen. Tori had been the smart one to leave her before shit hit the fan.

"Hey, why're you shaking?" Allen asked gently, wincing again as he lifted his arm to place his hand on her shoulder.

"I-I can't. This place, and you, and him, and Maya, and I can't do this."

"Hey, hey now, it's okay." He didn't ask her anything else, and she didn't dare try to pull away when his injured side was invested in keeping her there. Her tremors subsided but her guilt only grew. "So, I'll be on medical leave for awhile. And I'm not sure I even _want_ to know what sort of state the organization will be in when I get back. And I know _you_ are snowed out of the north for the season."

"What are you saying exactly?"

"Let's go on a vacation."

Her heart plummeted further. "You're not my dad," she snapped at him.

"But I'm your friend," Allen said with too soft a voice.

"You shouldn't be," Ree replied darkly.

"Fine then," he said, undaunted, "let's pretend this is for my own selfish satisfaction. We go on a vacation together. This means I get to pick a location, and I get to keep you there for an unspecified period of time. I can guarantee the security and safety of you, your team, and your fetus. You can bring along your sister, since she seems like a sweet gal, even if I've only spoken to her for about five minutes. And by guaranteeing _your_ safety and general health, I can give Lenore a break and give _her_ a much-needed vacation. So really, I'm the winner here."

"Stop making sense. There's still stuff in Castelia I have to do... I have to figure out some way to apologize to Kev, and Scott..." Okay, she didn't know what to do with Scott. She still didn't know if he was in the city or not. But to have him so close left her feeling unbalanced and needy, in spite of everything else going on.

"Maybe Kev needs some space. Sometimes friends just need to be alone for awhile, and that's okay. And as for your wayward boyfriend, we can go some place he won't think to go." She should've been tipped off by the way he broke into a wide, shit-eating grin, but alas, she remained unprepared. "And if it makes you feel any better, sweetie, I'll continue being your fiance and this can be our honeymoon. With company."

"Don't you have your own girlfriend to bother with dumb jokes?" Ree said with a grimace.

Allen's expression faltered for a moment.

"Boyfriend?" she backpedaled.

"No, neither."

_Please don't let him have a tragic past I'm making worse_, she prayed. "Well, uh, whatever then. Go get one. I don't need your babysitting."

"It's not babysitting, it's a vacation! For the poor soul on sick leave. It's for _my_ benefit, remember? Won't you do this for me?"

For being such a generally selfless guy, Allen Pershing could be kind of a dick, Ree decided that day.

-.-.-

Ree alternated between sulking and moping for the entire train ride. Ree and Lenore were both afraid of heights, and since he was on leave, it wasn't like they could teleport. So Allen got his way. Kev got his space. And Ree got pokémon girlfriends running about her compartment in a rather inappropriate version of tag.

"You could try to smile a bit," Maya scolded.

"I could still jump off of the train," Ree replied. Only the smallest class of pokémon were allowed, which meant Mordecai spent the trip in his ball, but the rest of their teams were okay. So it ended up being the girls and their menagerie in one, and Allen and Lenore in another compartment. How cozy.

It was unfair of her to think, but only Whippy seemed to really care about her emotional turmoil. Lala was still enamored with Talia. Harper kept an eye on Unika, which she _did_ need, since she was back in a full-force manic episode. _God-fucking-damn me,_ Ree cursed. Her pokémon needed her. Her sister needed her. Antoine Pollock needed to go deepthroat the barrel of a gun. Or a new Sophia, but she wasn't sure about the logistics of that. Kev needed to be sent a fruit basket.

What else did he even like? She knew a little about his eating habits and a few of his gaming preferences, he had a troubled past with his family, and he doted on his spoink. But what else? How did she begin to apologize to a guy she knew so little about, when she was getting further and further away from him by the second? Giving him some space wouldn't be a bad thing, probably, but it would only be a start.

Scott was easy. She knew how to apologize to him. But he hadn't outright gotten mad at her... yet. Did she have to apologize to him? She sent him several pictures of herself and Maya at the concert, so he could tell she had gone, but she had heard very little from him since. Scott was perpetual, but low-key. She could ignore her festering guilt over him more easily than the other, newer wounds.

And Maya... Maya and Antoine Pollock. Who knew where he was by then. She had seen him, she had _seen him_, and now he was probably half a continent away. She had no leads outside of his name. He still had Edgar, or at least, she sure hoped so. She'd kill the man twice over if he sold her sister's pokémon and she had to track him down separately.

"Why did he pick Undella?" Maya asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. "It's the off season, and it's too cold to swim in the ocean."

"Hell if I know. He said he just wanted a vacation. Probably the first place he thought of."

"At least it won't be snowy. We've never been there this late in the year, huh?"

"Last year, Scottie and I came out here to visit his dad. It was a little later than now."

Her sister fell silent at that. Ree scowled out the window as she watched the scenery fly by. Lala and Talia giggled underneath her seat, and Whippy was napping on her lap, finally having settled down after the initial shock of traveling by a train. She supposed most of her team would be pretty unused to human methods of travel. She didn't feel like getting them used to flying, by pokémon or plane, since she hated it herself, but maybe it wouldn't be terrible to get them used to other things.

"I'm going to try to nap," Maya mumbled and curled up in her seat. She was barely down before Talia and Lala piled on top of her, cuddling in close. It was hard to tell who was acting as the pillow for whom. "Okay, I guess we all are. Thank god everyone's calmed down now."

"Yeah." The girlfriends were content to snuggle, Whippy was done screeching at the window, and—Ree whipped her head around to look for the main source of the noise in their compartment. No wonder Unika had been so quiet; she was gone. Nearly upending her servine, Ree crawled all over the booth, looking under seats (only finding some of Lala's shed fur), peeking into the luggage racks over their head, even rooting through some of Maya's things.

"Can I help you, Sherlock?" the younger deadpanned as Ree tried to stand on her seat to look in her rack, too.

"When's the last time you remember Uni making noise?" She couldn't find Harper, either. It made sense they'd be together, but the bird wasn't that small. There was no place that could fit both of them and be out of sight.

"I don't know, before that lady checked our tickets?"

"...You go back to sleep. I'll be right back."

Whippy leapt at her as she left, curling around her neck like usual. "Ser!"

"Okay, I guess we'll both be back soon."

Maya gave her a suspicious look, but let her go all the same. Ree quickly shut the door behind her to make sure no other pokémon went missing. She thought about checking in on Allen and Lenore, but it was unlikely Unika or Harper were there, since someone would've returned them by then. And she was still a little sore at him for dragging her (and Maya) out there for the vacation, too.

"Come on, Mister Detective Snivy Whiplash. Servine. Whatever. Let's figure out why Uni ran off, and why Harper hasn't reported back to us yet."

"Ser," he agreed and dropped off her shoulders, landing crouched on all fours. He sniffed at the air, tail quivering, and she had to wonder where he learned to do that. His forked tongue snaked out to taste at the air. That was a little better.

"You're not a tracking growlithe, you know."

He made a sound that she figured was supposed to be a bark.

"Don't be an ass. The only fire pokémon I want is a heatmor." But she smiled, and he grinned up at her because of it.

They walked to the tail end of the train first, with no signs of commotion or squeaking or squawking or whatever they were doing. Because Ree couldn't fathom why they would have left. Okay, clearly Unika snuck out and Harper followed her to either keep an eye on her or rein her back in. But _why_ the tynamo had left in the first place... Not that Ree was suddenly an expert or anything, but she had been incredibly clingy and eager to please during her last manic episode.

They walked back up the length of the train with more caution, but still no sign of either pokémon. She knew they had boarded the train with them. Unika had been as eager to dive into Lala's fluff as ever and she remembered Talia gently taking her out and setting her with Harper.

Just when Ree was beginning to panic, for they had found neither feather nor spark of their missing teammates, Whippy bolted. She followed him without question, although the panic hit her when she realized he made a straight line for a window near one of the connectors.

Sure enough, she caught a glimpse of a grey wing soaring up and out of sight.

"Those two—!" She almost broke the lock trying to get the door open. The wind helped push it open for her, and she wedged herself out onto the narrow platform beside the sheltered connector. "Harper! What the _fuck_ are you doing out here?!"

She was gratified to see that it really was her bird and not some random wild tranquill who happened to be in the area. Unika squealed happily from the safety of one of her feet, though most of the sound was lost in the rushing wind. Ree angled her face so her hair would stay out of it and tried to maintain her glare at them. Sure, she was a little impressed Harper could keep up with the train, and a tiny bit of her was happy to see Unika clearly having fun, and she was getting over the fear that her pokémon had been _missing_.

Without showing any effort, Harper tilted her body just enough to glide down until they were about even with Ree. She eyed her calmly. "Quill?"

"Don't get cute with me. Why the hell are you both out here and without asking me?"

Harper swung her feet forward and more or less tossed Unika at Ree. The tynamo happily squeaked and nuzzled into the crook of Ree's neck. Harper landed on the railing, hunkering down against the broadside wind. Ree grudgingly offered her arm. The bird hopped onto that and they ducked back into the train.

Unika zoomed around at once, squeaking and sparking at every little thing. Whippy pattered along behind her with clear worry.

Harper pointed at them with her wing. "Tranquill."

"I know you were keeping an eye on her. ...You always do."

She flapped up and settled onto Ree's shoulder, pressing their cheeks together. "Tran. Tranquill-tranquill, quill?"

"I guess she is kind of hyperactive." And an excitable electric pokémon wasn't a good thing to have in an enclosed space, but Ree had already resigned herself to that experience. "I know you just wanted to keep her busy, or entertain her, or whatever you were doing. But you _should_ have asked me. Even if she was the one to slip out, you could've let me know somehow."

"...Quill tran-tranquill."

"We both know I'm lost when dealing with her. With all of you, but especially her. Once we get this little vacation underway, I'll start battling again, so we can work off some of this excess energy. And harpy, I appreciate all you're doing for her, I really do—but you're not her mother. Let me do some of this. Let me _help_, at least. Let's not have me feeling any shittier about all this, please?"

She didn't respond but pulled her cheek away. Ree supposed that was an answer itself. She whistled to catch the attention of the other two, and they traipsed back to their own compartment. Undella Town was still several hours away.

-.-.-

Ree challenged the universe to find an unluckier person than she, because they were still in the train station when she was recognized out of the thin crowd. By Scott's father, no less. "Ree Majors, is that you? And Maya!"

She went stiff as a board and Maya squeaked beside her. As the man approached them, all smiles and waves, Allen went to move protectively in front of them both—and then fell back with a wince. Lenore took his place, all tallness and cool glare that Ree knew too well. "I'm sorry, can I help you?"

Martin Felton looked up at the doctor, puzzled. Then, back down to the Majors sisters, as if to double check their identity. Ree felt herself break out into a cold sweat, but she still could not get her body to move. "Do you know these gals?" he asked them.

"I'm her—"

"We're her parents!" Allen interrupted with a smile, peeking out from behind Lenore.

Maya facepalmed audibly. Ree groaned at the ceiling. "Stop with the shitty lie right there!" she said, finally jarred into action by the sheer stupidity of that excuse. Honestly, even the newlyweds angle would have been better. ...Almost.

"This is Scott's dad," her sister explained after giving him the most disappointed of looks. "And so, you know, he's met our parents."

"Martin," he said with narrowed eyes. He didn't offer his hand. "Before I was just confused, and now I'm downright suspicious. Ree, Maya, you sure you know these two?"

"Yes, Mr. Felton. ...You don't think we can take care of ourselves?" Maya asked dangerously.

"I know you're a talented trainer, and I'm sure Ree's on target for the same," he said, giving them an uneasy smile for their benefit. "Was just a surprise to see you gals, and not used to seeing you without my boy. Scott's not with you?"

"Uh, no, he isn't," Ree said. She avoided looking at the man and instead stared hard at the back of Allen's skull, willing him to find a different, better excuse to get them out of there.

"These are some of our friends. We met through some training stuff. Doctor Lenore Coracks, and Allen Pershing. Allen's just kind of silly about traveling with three ladies sometimes, you know how those boys can be." Apparently Maya's sense of when to bail out her sister was a little keener. "We came for a short trip during the off season because everything's cheaper and they've never tried alomomola sushi, can you believe it?"

Maya talked the man out of questioning why they were traveling with a doctor and not Scott, and effortlessly got them moving again after an unfortunate promise to have dinner with him later in the week. They were hardly out of earshot when Lenore told her, "I have _too_ tried alomomola sushi, and I do not care for it. I understand your panic reaction to get out of the situation, but I didn't see why you had to drag us down with you."

"That was Scott's _dad_, doesn't that process with you?" Maya hissed back after a check over her should to make sure the man was well away. "The father of the boyfriend that Ree's trying to avoid?"

"He didn't have any pokémon with him and in her current attire it's not as if he could see any sort of protruding belly."

Ree hunched defensively over her stomach. "It's not protruding yet."

"That was her point," Allen said.

"At least someone was trying to help with the situation. What was with the parents lie, huh?"

"Okay, see it from my point of view. I'm injured and off-duty, and I see a strange man walking towards you, you who I know for a fact are trying to avoid everyone you know. It was a gamble, and I lost, but what else was I supposed to do?"

"Go with the fiance type next time. Don't drag me into your shenanigans," Lenore said sourly.

"Okay, no parents, roger." He backed off strangely quickly, considering how much he enjoyed their various other cover stories.

"Ree, you might want to call Scott. His dad's not gonna keep quiet, and this isn't a big enough town that you can hide. Head him off if you can," Maya suggested.

"_How_? He'll know we've talked to his dad. He's going to really lose his temper at me—or just break up with me." That pulled her up short. She'd been using Maya as a shield, and before that had simply been avoiding him, but neither of those were long-term tactics.

"That's why you have to talk to him," Lenore said without an ounce of sympathy in her voice.

"...Fine, I'll call him tonight. But I'm sleeping in Allen's room."

"Excuse me?" Maya and Lenore said in perfect unison. Even Allen cracked a grin at that.

"Calling and having a heart-wrenching conversation with my past lover and the father of my unborn child, how traumatic it will be! The only possible thing that will soothe me is lovingly helping my fiance clean his wounds and remind myself why I'm doing this...!" Ree exclaimed, using her best theatrical tone, putting a hand to her forehead like she might faint.

Allen, bless his soul, took her by the waist and let her lean into his chest. "_Someone_ has to support this dear, unwed mother-to-be—"

"Hey now, I'm not keeping it."

"—my fiancee, and it must be me! Because the fact that it's a chest wound has nothing at all to do with your sudden interest in my recovery, huh?"

"Shh, you're ruining the moment, dear," Ree said, patting his arm. (A small, very traitorous part of her was glad to have the feel of someone hugging her again.) Going back to her actress voice, letting Allen all but carry her backwards, she announced with much waving, "Adieu, adieu, my dearest sister and doctor! I must go now to tend to my wounded heart and wounded fiance! Remember me fondly!"

And exit train station left.

Lenore looked somewhat faint. "Did she just..."

"Ditch us? Yeah," Maya said and crossed her arms. "I'm pretty sure I recognize the unwed mother and new fiance thing, but she didn't have to punish _us_ for trying to talk her into being responsible. And after I saved her from Mr. Martin..."

"Dear, I have no idea how you put up with that sister of yours. Nor do I understand why _Allen_ does, but he's always been soft."

"I guess I'm made of tougher stuff. Someone's got to, at any rate. Even if she talks to Scottie, I'm not sure he will for much longer."

-.-.-

"I thought you didn't want the fiance thing anymore, not with your father-in-law in town," Allen said as they walked out into the fresh sea air. Ree sort of regretted when he let her go.

"Fuck, don't call him that. It's not like we're—I'm not _married_ to him."

"But you're joking about being married to me. Goodness, what will people _say_ about the baby."

"Eh, you're both blond, no one will notice."

"Where did the terrible scene come from, anyway?"

"I'm rereading _The Fierce Gentleman's Liepard_ with all of this downtime."

"Can I borrow it when you're done?" Allen asked and Ree raised an eyebrow. He very clearly didn't realize what sort of books she read in her free time. Baby naming ones aside. "I'm facing a lot more downtime than you are in my near future, and you don't want me bored."

"Fine. I'm almost done with it anyway."

"With that taken care of, can I ask where we're going yet? You seem to be walking pretty purposefully somewhere and I don't think it's to the center."

"Sports store."

"Sport—_no_!" He made a grab at her, but, prepared, Ree released Whippy. The servine curled around her shoulders and hissed at him. "Ree, you're not going to pick up another bat."

"I could be a baseball fan for all you know. I could be the next star batter," she growled, hand tightening on Lala's pokéball.

"This is a vacation, remember? I'm not going to let you go off and arm yourself again! I know the kind of trouble you get into—" He reared back and cut himself off as Whippy smacked his hand away from her shoulder. "How is it you can go from fun time to headache in seconds?"

"I'm only going to buy a bat. Since, because of _you_, I lost another. It's not as if I'm going to use it here."

"I don't want you to have it again. You won't use it here, so why need it?"

"Because we're in a town and I can get one."

"Ree—"

She turned on her heel and marched off, Whippy curling around to tuck his snout underneath her chin with a smug-sounding sigh. She scratched his neck for being such a good guard pokémon.

"—you come back here right this instant, young lady! I can't run after you like this!"

"I'm not running!" she called back over her shoulder. She missed the banter, too. And she didn't need Sophia IV right then and there. But it'd make her feel better, and with an important call to Scott looming, she needed all the comfort items she could get.

"That's it!" She heard the clack of pokéballs and her knees were knocked out from beneath her. She and Whippy yelped as one and fell back onto something monstrous, cold, and fluffy. Allen's beartic seemed to smile at her from above.

She'd almost forgotten he actually _had_ pokémon outside of Tranjero. She had seen three of them, but never used in a real battle.

"Okay, put her down now, Maria," he said and she flinched horribly. The man, unfortunately, caught it. "...Yeah, that's her name. Funny, isn't it?" he said without the least bit of humor.

"Allen, I..."

"I can still beat you in a battle. That's what you'll respect, right? Brute strength?"

Whippy loyally hissed up at him and his beartic, but Ree shoved his head back down towards her chest. "I don't really want to battle you. I don't really want to talk to Scott, either, or go to dinner with his dad, or half this shit. I also don't think I deserved that tone."

"I don't think I deserve to have my vacation ruined by more violence."

"Don't—!" she began, too angrily. Her eyes fell down to his chest. Not that any of the bandages were visible, but she knew, and he knew. "Don't try to guilt me, I can guilt you right back."

"I'd like to see you try."

She was momentarily torn—she didn't _want_ to fight with another person, least of all Allen, but she didn't want to back down, either. Stubbornness won out in the end. It always did. "Yeah, well, if you're injured, who's going to protect me? Won't be Maya, won't be you. That leaves me."

He made a face like he'd bitten into a nomel berry. "Maybe if you'd _stop_ running off headfirst into danger and _needing_ the protection to start with..."

"Are you blaming _me_ for all this?"

"No! You may have exacerbated things on more than one occasion, but I'd never say you were the cause of your own misfortune. You cause trouble, but you usually don't cause your own trouble, but either way, I want there to stop being trouble in your general vicinity. Is that too much to ask with you?"

"It's _just_ a bat. You're issued a gun, and probably other stuff, huh?"

"Yes, but I'm on medical leave, so—" Allen cut himself short, eyes suddenly bright with an idea. "I know! Ree, I will train you how to use a gun."

"_What_?!" A gun was only five million times more dangerous than a baseball bat. She felt she didn't need to specifically vocalize that part, and instead gestured uselessly at him. "How can you be serious?!"

"Gun safety is something very important to learn, and if you ever get into some sort of situation that, heaven forbid, involves one directly, I'd rather you know how to be as safe as possible around it." He beamed at her, a full 180 from their argument just moments ago.

"I'm sure I can hear Lenore screaming in terror from here," Ree said blankly. She wasn't totally sure she believed him, but she could not guess what he thought he stood to gain by lying. Or what he stood to gain by teaching her in the first place. Allen seemed to be a lot more pacifistic than that.

"I'll talk to Lenore myself about it. I'll look into some local ranges, and hopefully we can start tomorrow. Is that okay with you? It's only going to be the basics, and only with handguns, but it should only take a couple hours spread over a couple days. We'll have plenty of time to do other vacation-y things."

"Y-Your idea of a vacation is weapons training?"

Allen chuckled mirthlessly. "Actually, exactly that. I was a blast in training, let me tell you. Maybe we can get together with Nathan and—well, he'll have to tell you some stories about me from UFO training. And I can tell you plenty of shit about him."

"Allen..." He began to push her in the general direction of the pokémon center, and she weakly dug her heels in. "Surely you can't be serious about this?"

"I am serious," he said with a wink, "and don't call me Shirley."

"You're a huge fucking dork. But a very lucky dork because I haven't figured out what you're playing at yet."

"Well, you can stew on that tonight after your phone call with Scott." Shit, and she had almost forgotten. "And in exchange for this, you're not going to buy another bat while we're here. Isn't that fair enough?"

"I suppose..." It definitely wasn't just that. She'd bet the fetus inside her that it wasn't. And he was right, she _would_ stew on it.

But first, Scott.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Ree wises up to Allen's plan and is not happy about it. Allen doesn't like an unhappy Ree. And Lenore's not happy with anything. Harper's gunshy, Whippy doesn't like Undella, Lala comes to a terrible realization, and Unika is about the only one who's happy—wait, _Maya_ is happy too? That's weird, I wonder why?

-.-.-

**Author's Note**: Hey guys! Just wanted to put in a word here—I have a patreon! (The link is on my profile page, please check it out!) It's a blanket for all of my writing, and it's, of course, totally optional. But some of the reward tiers involve more frequent updates, and we've already hit those! And updates can get even MORE frequent, or we could even start a new story! Please see the link on my profile page for all of the goal tiers and individual rewards (did you know you can decide character fates or get physical books?). So I'll see you next month with Allen's spectacular plan!


	36. Of Tears and Gunfire

Like any good story, reports of Ree and Scott's first date varied depending on who was the one telling it. It was a cool day in November, sunny, and they went out to eat and then went for a walk afterwards to continue talking. That was about all they could agree on.

Scott had worn his aviators. Ree had been initially impressed, but had to confess that he did look a little tryhard with them on. (He had worn them for the sunlight, yes, but also so she wouldn't see him staring down her neckline or at the way her hair curled over her ears.)

Ree had dressed up. Scott had thought she had the best legs on any girl he'd seen, and that she had quite the eye for winter fashion. (Maya had dressed her. Ree had been uncomfortable and chilled the entire time. She never wore the outfit again.)

Scott maintained that he'd ordered pizza and Ree had ordered a cheeseburger. "I remember being surprised. Usually girls don't go for that on a first date," he argued. Ree usually smacked him by that point.

Ree argued that they'd both had pasta. She had something with vegetables, and he had spaghetti. "I remember because he spilled it down the front of his shirt." And Scott usually rolled his eyes and accused that of being her, not him.

Scott said they walked around in the park, to enjoy the mild weather and sunshine.

Ree said they walked around in a mall, to stay warm and look at the Christmas decorations.

And even their own stories changed when asked what they talked about. They agreed they had walked and talked for several hours, and probably covered a variety of subjects, but neither could concretely pin down anything.

The actual story went as this:

The day had been chilly but not cold, and the sun was out, reflecting off of the bits of snow already on the ground. Scott had braided his hair and worn his aviator sunglasses and a button-down shirt. Ree had put her hair up and had been uncomfortable in a knee-length dress over a turtleneck and leggings. They had actually both ordered breakfast items and shared crepes from a stand for dessert.

They had walked _through_ the park to get to a mall, where they found an arcade right away and spent the remainder of their date trying to one-up each other (and trash-talking so foully that they got kicked out within the hour). After that, they had tried ice skating downtown, stopped by a game store to preorder something Ree had forgotten was coming out in December, and headed back to Scott's so he could introduce her to his pokémon.

And it was nice.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty-Six**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Tears and Gunfire

-.-.-

"Hubba hubba," Ree said with a wide, lecherous grin.

"Hanging around you is simultaneously great for my ego and going to give me nightmares," Allen said with a twitch and a nervous smile. He had his back mostly to her, but still held his shirt in front of his chest, almost shyly.

If she wasn't with Scott... Well, still probably not. "I'd rather you have nightmares about me than Maria."

"Uh, wow." He dropped the shirt and smile, instead frowning at her. There was something dark in his eyes. "I appreciate the... protectiveness? But let's not talk about that."

"Couldn't handle the mood being all sparkles and light. Although your back muscles might sparkle. Maya's pretty good around you now, but fuck—I will _pay_ you to flex in front of her. I'm sure she'd explode on the spot."

"I hope that's not a euphemism."

"Can I pay you to flex in front of me?" she asked with a pout.

"I don't want to reward you when you're kind of being a little shit."

"I didn't get the bat."

"And I'm going to be paying for that. I meant talking about... nightmares. And Maria. I don't like you talking about either of those things," he admitted and sat down on the edge of the bed, beside her. But he didn't look at her. Up closer, she couldn't pretend it was still sparkles and light; his bandages were dirty with sweat and blood, he badly needed to shave, and he looked _so_ tired.

"I'm sorry. I won't."

"Thank you. I know the other day... It must be tough for you, too. I mean, I guess you knew her, _shit_, I was the one who introduced you two," he groaned and ran a hand over his face. He kept it covering his mouth, making his following words muffled. Ree leaned in reflexively. "You knew Maria, too, and I'm sorry for discounting that, but fuck, Ree, this was mine. This was _my_ mess and _my_ friends and _my_ career, not yours, s-so—"

And then he was blinking, trying to hold back the tears that were already coursing down his cheeks. Startled, Ree froze. She was not used to seeing grown men cry, least of all ones as strong as him. She reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder, but he just jerked away from her and put his back fully to her. She let him, unsure of whether to leave him or stay. She was bad with crying people, Maya aside, and that was only because she brought out her protective instincts.

"You can... You're allowed to be selfish. It can be yours," she offered. His shoulders shook a little but he remained silent. She wasn't sure if he was still crying. "I won't talk about her. I didn't really know her, and I won't dig into it. I'll forget any of it happened."

He laughed, short and rough, and said, "Goddamnit, I shouldn't ask you to do that."

"I'll do it anyway."

Grief, she knew, was weird. He had been betrayed and lost a pokémon. He'd botched an important job. And while she had been in the middle of it, it hadn't been _her_ problem. Maya's international affairs, Kev's family problems, and Allen's old friends, and she'd just happened to be in the area when it all collided. None of it was really hers, not in the same way it was theirs.

But what _was_ hers was Scott, and Mitzi, and her vendetta against Antoine Pollock. She didn't like it when people messed with her problems—nothing had her hackles up faster than people judging her—so she should really, _really_ learn not to stick her nose so far into others' issues. Too bad it took making Allen cry for her to actually learn that one. It was worse than seeing Maya cry, or her father. It was some sort of twisted, gut-wrenching mixture of the two.

"I'll come back in a little bit. You, uh, need anything?" Ree asked, scrambling towards the hotel room's door.

He caught her by the hem of her shirt. He tried to smile for her, and his eyes were already dry, so there was that. Fast crier. She was inappropriately jealous. "Don't let me chase you out of your own room. Plus, you promised to help me change my bandages."

"Yeah, I noticed they're a little red." A little more respectful about others, but still generally tactless. She was okay with it.

"A little blood is normal, nothing to be worried about."

"You sure? I don't think stitches are supposed to bleed." She'd had them before, and there had been some bleeding there, but she had figured it was because of her generally reckless approach to life.

"If it's just red, I'm not worried. If it starts coming out green or yellow, then you have my permission to get Lenore and let her scream at me." After a beat, Allen added, "She used to be a field medic, you know? For the UFOs. I met her during training. ...She knew Maria, too. And Sara Grace."

"Allen, you don't have to _earn_ the right to be the most affected by something. You went through some shit. You're gonna go through more shit if you get infected."

"Wouldn't be the first time," he drawled as she pushed him off the bed, up onto his feet, and pointed him towards the bathroom.

"You turn into a cynic when you're depressed, huh?"

"Depressed? Me? Never," he scoffed.

"Well if I'm going to be the bitch in this situation, I'm not going to half-ass it." Ree forced him to sit on the toilet and she looked at his little bag of medical things, already on the sink. "So you keep moping, I'll stay out of it, but it's my turn to show you some tough love."

"Have you ever, uh, changed bandages before?"

"I once had Whippy wrapped up for something. Did it myself. ...Can't remember what for, but he turned out fine."

"I like to imagine I'm made of pretty strong stuff—"

"Says the guy who was just crying."

"Wow, rude. Can we pretend I never showed emotion around you and you go back to being dumbstruck by my arms?"

"And your chest."

He put a hand on her shoulder, keeping him at arm's length, and fixed her with a serious look. A serious look that, combined with his disheveled appearance, mostly made him look like a cliché video game antihero. The unfair thing was that it still worked for him. "I'll show you how. You're not playing doctor with me for practice."

She tried her damnedest, but she cracked a smile at that. "Since I'm pregnant, I don't think I need too much more practice." Ah, fond memories.

"That's not what I—" Allen cut himself off with a sudden look of horror down at her belly. "Holy shit, you've had sex."

She fell back against the bathroom wall, howling with laughter. This was about twenty times better than Tori's similar realization.

He colored and scowled at her. "Don't laugh at me, you're barely eighteen! It hadn't occurred to me that you had any sort of regular sex life before this accident."

It took her a bit to regain her breath, and she choked out, "It's only four fucking months too late to be chastising me for that."

"God, did you even know how to use protection?"

"I'm a teenager with the internet and, contrary to popular belief, a _brain_. We were using condoms! In general. And anyway, how old were you, huh? Military-type training while a teenager, I bet you were doing all the girls between drills!"

He blushed again. Ree decided a blushing man was a vast improvement to a crying one. Not that she necessarily meant to create that distraction, but in all fairness, he brought it up first.

Wait, that was a pretty dark shade of red. "...You do like girls, right?" she asked hesitantly. She had never actually gotten an answer from him on that...

The image of a younger Allen in uniform with another guy in uniform almost did her in.

"Do we have to be having this conversation?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Holy shit, yes we do. Maya's going to pop if you've been hooking up with equally hot UFOs."

"You certainly know how to change around a conversation, huh?" She nodded. Gritting his teeth, he said as fast as humanly possible, "I am not gay, but I'm not straight. I _hope_ to Arceus above I was younger than you were the first time I had sex, and yes, it was with all the cute little soldier boys and girls. I am not giving you details. Consider this an apology for inadvertently digging into your sex life."

He didn't need to apologize for that, but what didn't know wouldn't hurt him. This time, anyway. "Can I tell Maya?"

"It's not a secret."

"So, you and that smoking guy? Nathan?"

"I am not giving you details!" he exclaimed and, amusingly, his cheeks flushed a little again.

She almost opened her mouth to ask who else. _Almost_. But then she remembered the two women whom Nathan had looked so distressed at seeing.

She didn't ask. She could learn from past mistakes.

"Got anyone now?" she asked instead.

"I can't help but notice a lack of bandage changing and far too much schoolgirl gossip."

"You said you were changing yourself, and don't try to make this about girls. I know for a fact dudes gossip just as bad, too," she said and threw the roll of gauze at him. He caught it after it bounced off his nose.

"Shouldn't you be calling Scott?"

"Consider this conversation emotionally bracing for me. So, eye on anyone?"

He let out the longest sigh she'd heard from him yet. "Yeah, I guess. But it's just my eye on them, it won't become anything. And I'm not telling you who because I don't want you getting into more trouble."

"Which means I know them," Ree declared.

He smacked his face against his palm. She was victorious, yet again. Allen completely avoided any personal talk from then on, but she did learn how to change bandages around someone's chest, so it wasn't a total loss. She would gladly put her hands all over him in the name of learning. Emotionally bracing.

Because even she knew she shouldn't be groping other dudes when she had a boyfriend. It wasn't as if she was without remorse for it. But she was weak, so weak, and thirsty as hell without Scott around. She could only blame part of it on her undoubtedly haywire hormones. So she felt bad about perving on Allen, and then perved on him some more in order to cheer herself up. And so the cycle continued.

Allen was the one to break it, of course. He pushed her phone into her hand, pushed her down onto the bed, and then locked her in the room. Not that she couldn't break out—she didn't think he was fully wise to her window trick yet—but she was adult enough to face her boyfriend. Totally.

Her guilt towards Scott outweighed her own fear of the conversation. She owed it to him. She owed him so much more than running out on him.

And she was trying to be a better person, wasn't she? With that resolution in mind, she dialed his number, flopped back onto the bed, and put him on speaker on the pillow beside her.

Her boyfriend picked up on the second ring. "I was wondering if you'd be calling," came his voice, with a particularly cool tone.

"I deserved that."

"...How is Maya doing?" Scott asked.

"Better, mostly. Better now that she's been out and about a little. It comes and goes, I guess... Grief, right?"

"I suppose. I'm glad someone is there for her."

"Don't use my sister to get snippy with me," Ree said, throwing her wrist across her eyes. Her other hand absently rubbed at her stomach. A definite bump there.

"You're right, she doesn't deserve that."

"Yeah, I deserve the bitchiness, but don't act like it won't piss me off. What all did your dad say?"

There was a pause on the line. "Not much," Scott said after a rustling noise. "You and Maya, traveling with two other people with a _fantastic_ lie. Asked me a ton of questions about whether or not you got into more trouble. _Have_ you gotten into more trouble?"

"Just the usual amount," she replied vaguely.

"So, why did you call?" Scott asked, a little meanly. They didn't fight often, and even rarer were the times when she clearly knew she was in the wrong. None of it sat well with her, but she struggled to keep her temper in check. He had a right to be miffed.

"Can't I call my boyfriend?"

"Oh, can you?"

"Cut the shit, Scottie. I know I'm fucking up right now, but you don't have to throw it back in my face."

"Don't I at least get that much?" he asked in that same light, curt tone. There was more rustling noises in the background. "It was one thing when it was just you, but now Maya? My _dad_? Why is it just _me_ you're avoiding?"

"It's also my parents," she said lamely.

"Great, so I'm in the same boat as your _parents_."

"It's most everyone from home. That's why I _left_. I left instead of—"

"Instead of just having the courtesy of dumping me to my face?"

The silence was loud in her ears. "...Scott, I-I don't want to break up with you."

He exhaled like he'd been holding his breath. "I don't want to break up with you, either," he mumbled. "Just... Carly was spouting her usual shit. And then I get a call from dad and it just... It's been months. What else am I supposed to think?"

"I'm just out doing the trainer stuff. I'll be back afterwards."

"This isn't some sort of business trip or military deployment. I know you're you, but you can't just... up and leave and not tell anyone. And expect everyone—expect _me—_to be okay with it."

"...I know. Does it help to hear that I'm sorry?"

"...Only slightly," he grumbled with a pout that was audible even over the phone.

"I'm sorry," she told him sincerely.

"Still only slightly. What am I supposed to do, Ree? I love training, and I wouldn't hate keeping up that game of tag we had going on, provided it _ended_. But if you're serious about keeping me away... And with the band stuff picking up again, I should just stay home."

"It'll end."

"When?"

"...Not soon."

"So I should just stay home, is what you're saying?"

It would be best for her to say yes. She would have one less source of stress and wouldn't have to keep such an eye on her travel plans. But that would hurt him, it would hurt her, and it would hurt their already breaking relationship. And Ree was a creature of emotion, not logic.

But it was so tempting to say yes and have one less worry.

Scott saved her from having to choose an answer. "Well, with everything snowed out, I'm not sure I want to go on too many more adventures. You're going to stay out through the winter?"

"Y-Yeah, can't be that hard if I avoid the north, right?"

"Just be careful," he said and sighed.

"I'll try."

"I'm serious. The weather can be a bitch when you're living out in the woods, and you don't exactly have a cold-proof team, right? I can't be mad at you if you're in the hospital with hypothermia. Be careful and at least follow whatever advice Maya gives you."

"I will." She thought about adding in that _he_ could give her advice, and she'd gladly follow his words, but the conversation was rapidly boiling down to Scott versus training, so she refrained.

"...Ree, I think..." He pulled the phone away to groan in frustration, but she still caught it clearly. "I think we—ugh. Just. Good luck out there. Be careful, stay safe, stop making me think of your parents. Bye."

He hung up before she could answer. Maybe for the best. Her throat was tight and her eyes burned, but she wasn't crying, nor any more upset than she had been leading up to the call. And he hadn't been as mad as she would've been, had their situations been reversed.

_Not that he would ever have this problem_, she thought bitterly. No, because _she_ was the one who had the uterus, and _she_ was the one who would ever have the issue of something growing inside of her.

A text beeped on her phone. It was from Scott. "_i think we should go on a break_"

She typed out a vague agreement she forgot as soon as she closed her phone again. So that was it. It wasn't technically a break-up, but it was damn near close. Scott would give her space and she didn't have to feel so guilty about it. It was probably for the best.

That was all she could tell herself: it was (probably) for the best. She had more freedom to move about as she pleased, Scott didn't completely hate her for it, and she could buckle down and focus on her team.

So she kept telling herself that, as she released Whippy and cried into his scales, and well throughout most of the night, even after Allen peeked back into the room. He was better at comforting than she was, anyway. At some point, she was pretty sure she stumbled through a sobbed explanation, and he had soothing words for her, but most of what she remembered from the crying fit was how tightly Whippy hugged her back.

-.-.-

"So, how did everyone sleep?" Maya asked cheerily the next morning. Three identical groans answered her. Ree and Allen had alternated keeping each other up (or merely uncomfortable; more than once Ree had flopped over him to seek more comforting in her drowsy craving for male affection, and he snored and _sleepwalked_, of all things). Both of them looked up at Lenore in sleepy confusion.

"I can't sleep well in hotel rooms," she mumbled, trying to hide her eyes from the overhead lights with her bangs. "Especially not alone."

"Alone?" Ree whipped her head back over to her sister and glared. No wonder she was in such a good mood. "I spent most of the night an emotional wreck and you were off with a new dude of the week?"

"Not week! I've known him for years, we get to see each other every few months—"

"We're switching back tonight!" Allen declared. He put his arm around Lenore's waist and pulled her against his side. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why were you an emotional wreck?" the doctor asked, not deigning to address him.

"Yes, I was going to ask that too," Maya added.

"After you were done preening," Ree hissed, betrayed and hurt and incredibly, deeply jealous. Allen tugged Lenore down so he could whisper in her ear. Her eyes went wide and she covered her 'oh' with her hand. Ree scuffed the floor with her shoes and grumbled, "Yeah, me and Scott are on a break now. But it's whatever. It's easier this way."

To her sister's credit, she hugged her at once. Maya was a pretty good hugger, too, and as much as Ree liked Allen, it felt a lot nicer to get a hug from a fellow female after the night before. Lenore patted her awkwardly on the shoulder, and Ree was okay with that, too.

"I'm not gonna start crying or anything. ...Again. I just want to go battle some stuff—and you!" Suddenly remembering, she whirled around on Allen, jabbing her finger up in his face. "You owe me a gun lesson!"

"A _what_?!" Lenore squawked.

"I think we're all a little too sleep-deprived to have this argument right now."

"I'm not. I slept fine!" Maya chirped. "But I'm—"

"Maya, the big sister in me is happy for you, but right now I'm just a pissed off pregnant girl who is on a fuckin' _break_ with her boyfriend. I will punch you in the face the next time you bring that up."

"Roger that! But I need to know what's up with the gun thing, too."

"It's an okay thing!" Allen continued backpedaling as Lenore actually advanced on him, using her superior height to intimidate him. It worked embarrassingly well. "I've got this under control! We had a, uh, deal, and it's between us, and it's all cool!"

"I would not refer to _that girl_ as 'okay', 'under control', or 'cool' when combined with the mental image of a gun. _What_ exactly are you doing, Allen Pershing?"

"W-Well, you see—"

"Yeah, I'm really interested in the catch here, too." Ree folded her arms across her chest. "Let's see how you defend this to the good doctor."

"Don't you get smart. You're not getting any sort of weapons training, much less firearms," Lenore snapped at her.

"Hey, we had a deal!"

"An incredibly stupid deal! Pershing, just you wait until your superior officer hears about this—and on sick leave, too—"

"Hey now, the sick leave doesn't negate the fact that I am legally trained to handle and carry weapons." She backed him up against a wall. He paled as she towered over him, six and a half feet of sleep deprivation and anger. Ree didn't envy him, but she knew some excuse was coming, and if it was good enough to get Lenore off his back, then it was probably her cue to start in on him.

"Ree, why were you two discussing guns?" Maya asked as she pulled on her sleeve.

"I was going to pick up another bat. He didn't want me to, and he suggested that as a trade. I'm still trying to figure out the bullshit in it but he seemed legit."

"_Why_ do you want to learn how to use a gun?" she pressed. Ree tore her gaze from the arguing adults and instantly regretted it; Maya was using her Cute, Sad Little Sister eyes. She cringed and looked back at Lenore and Allen (who had dissolved into panicked, incoherent whining when unable to come up with a defense he could use without pissing Ree off, apparently), but the damage had been done.

"I just... He offered the deal. Was a little bitch about me getting a new Sophia, too, so I just sort of went along with it."

"Does this have to do with anything that happened in Castelia?"

"...No." And normally she was such a good liar.

"Guns are dangerous, Ree. And you know you're prone to violence and have a temper. I don't want you getting near them."

"Pokémon are dangerous, too, remember?"

"Pokémon have wills of their own. Most of them have the sense or compassion not to unduly harm humans, and even if they do, well, we have pokéballs. It's been a legitimate form of defense against bad pokémon in the past."

"Not all people have the sense or compassion not to fuck with others. I'm not going to become an expert marksman over the course of a couple sessions of training, Maya. It'll probably just be stuff like how to handle the recoil, basics in aiming, and maybe stuff about cleaning and making sure you don't shoot your foot when you holster it."

"All important lessons!" Allen squeaked and made a break for it. He ducked under Lenore's arm and hid behind the Majors sisters. "Look at this cute face. Do you want your precious mother-to-be to shoot herself in the foot?"

Ree swatted him away before he could pinch her cheeks. "I'm not keeping it, I've told you before."

"C'mon, Lenore, don't you trust me? Don't you trust these cute faces?" He poked Ree in the back until she broke out into a grin to match his. Maya leaned up in their space with her own smile as well but Allen pushed her back down and out. "This isn't a two for one deal. I'm not going to be responsible for mini Ree."

"That's insulting."

Lenore responded by taking out her phone, sliding it open, and dialed a number. She pressed it to her ear and tapped her foot as she waited. "Oh, hello, Leland. ...Er, yes, I'm doing well, but I was only calling to—"

"Don't do that!" Allen yelped and dove for the phone. Lenore held it up out of his grasp. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you!"

"Tell me?" She arched an eyebrow. "I want you to stop, not tell me your rationale."

"It's a really good reason. You'll agree with it." He gave Ree an unsubtle look. "But in secret."

"No, I _really _wanna know this reason, too. Let's hear it."

Lenore slid the phone closed without saying goodbye. "No one's going to be happy if this is some sort of trick, Allen."

"Ugh, would you just listen to me for a moment?" He yanked her down to his level so he could whisper in her ear. It wasn't a very long explanation, not enough time for Ree to march over and force her way in, but whatever it was, Lenore was satisfied by it.

Which meant Ree wouldn't be.

"I still don't approve of this, but I can see your logic in it. And it's not as bad as I'd—rightfully—feared."

"I swear, Allen, the second I figure out the catch in this, I'm getting a new bat and shoving it up your ass."

"We had a deal," he repeated with a beam. "But for now, brunch. We have an appointment at the range at two."

-.-.-

The shooting range was a surprisingly loud building on the other side of Undella, and not because of the gunshots. There were more pokémon there than she'd anticipated. A guard with a gothitelle looming beside him checked them as they entered, checked their teams, and she supposed she shouldn't be surprised at the security. Allen spoke quietly to a well-built woman who met them soon after, and all of them walked into a private adjoining room.

"Alright, miss Majors, my name is Hiranna, and I'll be helping you while you're here. Have you ever handled firearms before?" the woman asked without further ado.

Ree looked over at Allen; she hadn't expected an interrogation. "Uh, water guns. Video games."

"So, no. I understand this will be primarily about safety and working with handguns."

"Yes," he replied. "And I'm just here to supervise. I'm UFO Captain Allen—"

"Jim already told me," Hiranna said flatly. "And he told me this is a bit of an unorthodox arrangement. I don't care about the details, I just care about doing my job, and making sure no one gets hurt or gets stupid because of this."

"Well, that's why we're here. Safety first and all that," Ree butted in. "So, first lesson time?"

Hiranna's mouth twitched in a way that probably meant a frown. She wasn't very expressive. "First lesson then. Both of you, pokémon out."

"Pokémon?"

"You're a trainer, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then your pokémon are your teammates. You're part of a team with them, and if you're getting trained, so are they."

"That's how it works, Ree," Allen mumbled, digging pokéballs out of his pockets. He released his pokémon, the first time Ree had gotten a good look at them all. Five pokémon, conspicuously missing Tranjero, lined up at a version of attention, and she realized she would have to deal with the embarrassment of letting her hooligans out to compare themselves to the trained pokémon of a military person. He had a samurott, something huge and prickly and metallic, the audino and beartic she'd remembered, and then a tiny, fluffy rufflet chick.

Ree glanced behind Hiranna to make sure the door was shut. It was, and while it muffled some of the noise from outside, it didn't completely cut it out. "You could've warned me about this part. I hope you're both ready to babysit..."

She let Whippy and Harper out first, hoping they'd be the better behaved ones, but boy, did she get that one wrong. The servine slithered up her side and curled himself around her shoulders, peering over at Allen's team with polite but obvious curiosity. Harper settled down on the leafy part of his tail, coolly looking over the room.

And then they heard the first gunshot from outside the room. Whippy tensed, and having a reptile made almost exclusively of muscle coiled around her neck during that almost choked her. Harper launched off of him with a shriek just as Ree fell to her knees. The tranquill flapped around the room with panicked squawking, Whippy huddled at far into Ree's shirt as he could get, and Ree rubbed at her throat and tried to figure out why Harper was the one freaking out.

And then she remembered.

"Shit. Harper, it's okay! It's okay, harpy, it's just—fuck." She returned her after she banged into the light more than once. Whippy trembled against her chest. Allen knelt down beside her, emanating concern, but she waved him off before he could start. Instead, she looked up at Hiranna. "So, I didn't know my pokémon would be in on this, and I not only didn't warn them about this, but also, my tranquill has been shot before. Is there anything we can go over today and then I go back to my room to talk to my pokémon about this?"

"Your other pokémon?"

"Uh, not all that good with guns, either, probably." Whippy was still half in her coat. She wasn't even sure Harper would be okay after an explanation and a _lot_ of cuddling. In no way would Unika be good with sudden, loud noises, and that was if she didn't recognize the sound, too. Lala and Whippy were the only ones who stood chances of getting to the standard of Allen's team, and it would not be soon.

"Please come prepared tomorrow, then. We do offer courses specifically for gun-shy pokémon, but they're much more time-consuming than what I understand you're looking for."

"Do you want to do that? We can stay in Undella longer, it'll be fine through the winter—"

"No, just this thing you have. I'll talk to them tonight." She didn't necessarily want to blame Allen, but she sort of did. She hadn't thought about pokémon being part of it, though it made sense in hindsight. It sounded like something he should have mentioned to her at some point. "Can we do anything else today?"

"...Yes. Return your servine and we'll go over the basics of structure and handling."

"Ser!" Whippy poked his snout up out of her boobs to give her a huge-eyed plea.

"Is it okay if he stays out?"

"If you think that would be best," Hiranna said mildly.

If he was willing, she might as well take advantage of it. He had already stopped jumping at every noise outside, though he was glancing over at Allen's pokémon every so often again. "He can stay. He'll behave himself."

The first day turned out to be a three-hour session dedicated to utterly boring Ree. She wondered if Allen realized most of the technical information was going in one ear, out the other. She was allowed to handle and look over empty pistols, which was about the most exciting part, unless she counted Whippy gradually getting used to the noise of gunshots.

Allen tried to impress her with his speedy dismantling (and reconstructing) of another gun, which would have been neat, if he hadn't tried to point out all the pieces and parts to her. Hiranna had tried to do the same thing with similar effects on her attention span. They did show her other types of guns, too, and it was cool until Allen swatted her hand for trying to touch the shotgun. They showed her a large variety of firearms, not just pistols, but wouldn't let her handle them, so what was the point? She already knew what they all looked like from video games.

So the first session ended with the grim prospect of Ree having _another_ talk that evening she didn't want to have. Allen offered to buy her ice cream, but with the weather, she wasn't feeling it, and she wasn't feeling his guilt, either. She did, however, stop to buy Harper a treat. The candy shop had a wide selection of imported poké puffs, so after some flip-flopping over flavors, she just got a dozen of assorted types. She probably spent more than she should have, but she and Maya could go out a battle a couple of tourists after dinner if necessary.

After her talk with her team. The battling would have to start again the day after. _Why is being an adult full of serious talks I don't want to have?_ she lamented to herself.

Allen and Maya had already moved their stuff into their new rooms, and it wasn't difficult to talk her sister into giving her some alone time with her pokémon. She made sure the doors and windows were shut, just in case, and released her four.

Harper was puffed up to about twice her normal size, but she stayed on the bed where she'd been put. With a happy squeal, Unika wriggled over and hovered beside her. Lala gave the bird a strange look, but her concern was lost when she spied the box of sweets in Ree's lap. "Whim!"

"Yes, we get some treats. But in a moment—goddamnit, in a moment!" She barely got the box out of the way in time to avoid Whippy's attempted nosedive. She eventually had to pass out one to each of them to keep her starter out of the box. Harper's feathers smoothed out and she calmed down after sticking her beak into the frosting. Unika just zapped hers repeatedly. "Do you guys have to undermine my every order or decision? No wonder no one respects me as a trainer..."

"Whimsicott-si-scott," Lala replied diplomatically around the puff in her mouth. She had more frosting in her fluff than anywhere else.

"Right. Whatever you said." She was catching onto a lot of Whippy's language and gestures, and Harper made a point to be easy to read. Unika was a hyperactive mystery and Lala was just... difficult for Ree. "Look, we need to have a talk. Harper and Whippy already know what this is about, but this coming week, we're going to be undergoing some training. Together, I guess."

Unika somersaulted through the air. Harper gently drew her back towards her treat with her wing, and shot Ree a severe look. "Tranquill?"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I didn't mention it before. Honestly, I didn't know you guys would be in on it. It's gun training, not our usual training. And _no_, you guys won't actually deal with them. I guess the people in charge want you to be unafraid of gun noises and stuff... From all of the lecturing today, I'm sure it can all be boiled down to 'know how to deal them and respect them'. I'm already pretty over it. But it's not a bad idea to learn something like this, for any of us. And they can't give me textbook knowledge for the rest of the time. Eventually I'm gonna get to shoot a gun!"

Ree grinned, but then caught Harper's expression. She sighed and dropped the smile.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I shouldn't be excited. If it makes you feel better, I'm not as excited now as I would've been just starting this journey."

"Quill."

"Whim-_si_," Lala scoffed.

Unika sparked at her, but Harper quickly drew her back. Lala growled at them, then toddled over to Ree's other side to try to swipe more poké puffs. Ree moved the box away—the suspiciously lighter box. She peeked inside, then peered at Whippy over the lid. He had green and brown frosting smeared over his claws, and she had definitely given him a pink one. He donned his best innocent look and hid his claws behind his back.

"You guys are worse than children, honestly. If the pregnancy didn't do it, you would definitely have me swearing off kids forever." She idly wondered if Scott would ever want kids, or if his pokémon were unruly too, but that led down a dangerous path of thoughts. "Whippy, no more sweets. Lala, stop snarking at them or whatever the fuck you're doing. Harper, sorry. Unika, it's dead, stop zapping it. We good? Good. Now tomorrow, we're all going to the range, and we're going to get used to dealing with guns. Best behavior, even if you're scared, okay? These people are safe, and they're professionals, and no one will get hurt, I promise you. And if everyone _behaves_, then we can pick up more of these, since _someone_ helped himself to about half."

Lala smacked Whippy's tail. Unika squeaked at him. Harper and Ree facepalmed in unison.

-.-.-

Whippy insisted on being worn like a very heavy scarf. Lala wanted to touch everything. Harper was demonstrating nerves of steel and had planted herself on the light, not moving a muscle. And Uni, in the universe's most ironic twist yet, was the best behaved.

The gunfire didn't bother her, she stopped touching things after being told once, and she was fascinated with how everything worked, not to mention all of the people and the pokémon. With so much stuff going on, Ree had been a little worried about overstimulating her, but it almost seemed like it helped. She had plenty of things to look at and comment upon and try to exchange static with.

Eventually, the team calmed. Whippy wasn't the threat of snapping her neck, Lala became bored and tried to nap in the corner, Harper stayed up on the light, and Unika tried floating up to sit with her. Allen's beartic helped her up. Just when they were getting bored or tired enough to behave, Hiranna decided Ree was allowed to shoot her very first gun.

She didn't shoot herself in the foot. Harper didn't panic. Whippy only scratched her a little when he was jarred by the recoil. It happened, and her team came out whole.

Ree breathed out a sigh of relief. "Happy you didn't bruise anything in the recoil? It is a handgun, but it can still catch beginners off guard," Allen said, sidling up as he pulled his protective earmuffs off. How he could _somehow_ look good in them and orange safety glasses was beyond her, but she was ninety percent sure that was just her libido at that point. Being on break with Scott sent her hormones through the roof, and yet, none of it was aimed at him anymore.

Not that she wouldn't have taken him up if he offered—

"Do you ever wear shoulder holsters?" Ree blurted out.

Allen blinked, taken aback. "Um. Yes. Is this related to girl things or gun things?"

Ree imagined Scott in shoulder holsters, orange glasses, and little else. "Do you ever get really horny while handling guns? I mean, I've read stories like that, and I think there was a porn once, but I hadn't thought it was _real_. I don't really like guns all that much. It's making me super worried for my team in ways I hadn't thought of, and I don't like that, but oh my _god_ y'know when you get a _really good_ shotgun or sniper rifle in a game? It's like that. Except with guys."

"Let's take the gun away from the jittery teenager now," Allen said, prying the pistol out of her hands and handing it off to Hiranna.

She took it and solemnly told them, "I've had women orgasm after shooting a gun here."

"Shit, are you serious?" Ree asked with barely restrained glee.

"Let's make sure she's not one of them! I didn't sign up for that."

"You sure enable most other things up to that point—"

"I'm sure regretting it now!"

"There's nothing wrong with being attracted to power, or having a physical reaction to an outside stimulus. I'm here to teach safety, not shame."

"Well, Ree needs a hefty dose of both."

"Hey, I've been doing good. So's my pokémon. I think I'm entitled to some hot daydreams."

"Not while you're handling firearms you're not."

"He has a point there. Your mind must be focused while you're here, to the best of your abilities."

They had to take a small break before Allen judged Ree serious enough to try shooting again. She was actually a decent shot for a beginner, something both he and Hiranna remarked upon, but what else were all those hours in _Call of Duty_ and _Fallout_ good for if not teaching her how to aim a gun? Some video game logic applied to real life.

They let her empty two clips and nothing went wrong. Ree was a happy camper, until she realized that the next lesson wasn't more aiming and shooting. "This is a self-defense course! Of course we're going to do a rundown on nonlethal targets."

"Bullshit! If I wrestle a gun away from a crazed killer, I'm putting it between his eyes!"

"That's murder, Ree! Aim for their legs! _Please_!"

Okay, so she _probably_ wouldn't shoot someone in the face if she had the chance, even if it was self-defense. But his insistence on 'teaching' her morals while hypothetically defending herself, her fetus, and her team grated on her. She'd do whatever it took to stop someone with a gun from hurting her or her team. She didn't have to be told (over and over) to avoid the bloodiest and most violent reaction.

He'd agreed to let her take all those courses, and yet he still thought of her as some sort of monster thirsting for blood. She still hadn't figured out the catch, either. She was definitely learning valuable information about guns and that included handling them. And they only had three days left.

That night, Maya knocked on the door before poking her head in. It was nearing midnight. "Ree, still awake?"

"Wasn't expecting you home so early."

"Well, neither was I, but here we are. How was gun school today?"

She groaned and rolled over onto her side, halfway onto a sleeping whimsicott. "Shoulder holsters."

"Mm."

"Don't crawl into bed if you're still smelling like sex. I'll hump your leg like a wild herdier, I swear I'll do it."

"You're gross. Scoot over."

"At least shower."

"I didn't have sex with anyone, Ree," Maya said with an audible eye roll. "Jeez, is that all you think I do?"

"You're two for two on nightly visits to your boy toy. What else am I supposed to think?"

"Well, tonight was different. All parties stayed clothed."

Ree grunted. She didn't have anything else to say to that. Her younger sister was still out getting some semi-regularly, and she was stuck with a devious UFO piece of eye candy and a boyfriend on a break. And she was supposed to go to dinner with said not-boyfriend's father tomorrow night.

"Maya, have you ever shot a gun?"

The answer took a bit. "...Yes, I have."

"When?"

"I don't tell you everything," she said at once, defensive. She pulled off her pants and snuggled down underneath the covers, her back to her sister. "I was... There was a pokémon poacher, or hunter, I'm not sure. And he dropped his gun, and I picked it up, and I fired it. That's all."

"Uh, no, that's _not_ all."

"It missed. Badly. But it spooked his rapidash and it gave Bo the chance to get me away from them. That's it. I turned in the gun at the police station the next morning. Guns aren't worth all the paperwork."

"Oh." Ree petted Lala, who snuffled in her sleep. So her sister had dealt with guns before. It sounded like the sort of situation Allen wanted to prepare her for. So she'd be prepared in the future, her pokémon would be okay with the sound of guns, she and Scott were on break, and everything was changing to be more and more serious and responsible. She hated it.

"Any other questions?" Maya asked, annoyed.

"Think I can guilt Allen into wearing shoulder holsters?"

"That's mean, Ree."

"I haven't been feeling too nice lately. Think Scottie told his dad about us?"

"If he did, we could probably get out of that dinner. But I'm not gonna bring it up, so have fun with that."

"If we dose me up on slushies, I could just fake sick."

"You _would_ be sick."

"...I really don't want to do that tomorrow. I really have nothing to lose at this point by ducking out of it."

"Then ask Scott to ask his dad. Or get his number, I don't know."

Talking to Scott was even less appealing than talking to his father. Ree fell asleep in a grumpy mood because of it.

The next day's lesson was indeed dedicated to nonlethal shooting. Something else Ree knew plenty about due to video games, although her knowledge was admittedly fuzzy. And it got even more confusing when they started throwing common pokémon body types into the mix. It was fun to pretend like she was a super assassin preparing to take down any target, but that soon lost its charm with the sheer amount of information Allen wanted to drill into her brain. Even Hiranna seemed a little concerned about his thoroughness.

At one point, she wondered if he realized she could just use the inverse of the knowledge he was giving her to figure out how to kill people or pokémon.

The dinner that night with Martin Felton was blessedly only half awkward. The girls dragged Lenore and Allen with them, both to act as a conversational buffer and to show him that they weren't being held under duress. Allen was fine going out, even dressing up a bit (and making the girls do the same). Lenore was less pleased with the alomomola sushi.

Ree didn't have to fake sick because her doctor did it quite well. At first, she was even concerned, but then she found Lenore simply sitting in the restroom instead of puking like she'd excused herself to. "Wow, hadn't pegged you as, well, me."

"I wanted to spare your body another night with insufficient nutrients."

"I'm sure that's just it."

"I really don't like sushi. I assume you will agree with this cover story?"

"Just so long as I don't have to hold your hair back for you. You _are_ alright, right?" Ree asked, suspicious and uncertain. She looked a little pale, but it could've been the dim lighting.

"I'm fine, but thank you for your concern. How long do you think we should stay in here?"

Their answer arrived in the form of Maya, who burst into the bathroom with an exclamation of, "Doctor Coracks, are you—oh, you are okay. Are we playing hooky in here or what?"

"Did you just leave Allen alone with Mr. Felton?" Lenore asked.

"I'm sure he can handle himself."

"He's still injured and was under suspicion."

"That's Scott's dad, not a foreign agent."

"I worry," Lenore said flatly and stood back up. She flipped her long hair back over her shoulders and rinsed her face with water. "I suppose we should be returning. Does this look sickly enough to bow out?"

"Looks pretty good," Ree said with a thumbs up.

"You're _seriously_ playing hooky?" Maya asked.

"I _really_ don't like sushi," the doctor repeated.

They bowed out of dinner before dessert, although Ree made sure to box up their meals, even Lenore's untouched sushi. Martin let them go. He seemed to have been just as awkward as the girls had felt, but Ree hadn't been sure if he knew about her and Scott or not. She hadn't dared ask.

The Majors sisters spent the rest of the evening eating leftovers and painting their nails, since they didn't have much else to do. Maya apparently had enough of a reputation already to deter most battles, which was useful sometimes, but not when they were bored. Or needed to train. While Ree was cautiously happy with her gun course, she felt antsy going without battling for so long.

But at least her nails were going to be pretty again.

It soon devolved into painting their pokémon as well. Lala refused to have anything to do with them, at least until Talia asked nicely, and then she was all for it. Whippy had been curious and eager from the get-go and ended up with all of his claws, front and back, neon green. It matched pretty well.

Unika started crying when she realized she didn't have anything to paint, but Ree, in a moment of genius she was proud of, soothed her by offering to paint some of the scales on her tail. It didn't quite stick that well and had trouble drying, which meant the tynamo had it smeared over half the hotel room within the hour, but at least she was happy. Ree just had to remember that little things helped just as much as the big things. Uni wasn't that scary.

Harper seemed a little warmer towards her, too, after Unika had been painted. The tranquill ended up with sparkly purple nails and almost orange on her beak, but she snapped at Maya when she tried to dab some on. That sent Unika into fits of high-pitched giggling, which had Zara (almost all of her spines either orange or purple) cackling, who made Talia start laughing, and she dragged Lala into it, and pretty soon the girls had more laughing pokémon than they knew what to do with.

It was a bright spot in a life that had become pretty grey, so Ree shouldn't have been surprised when something happened to interrupt it.

"What's that noise?" Maya asked as the laughter started to die down. Mordecai raised his head, ears pricked. Lilith got to her feet, hands cupped around her antennae. "It sounds..."

Ree cupped a hand around her ear. It was coming from outside, in the hall or another room, not outside the building. It wasn't an alarm, unless it wasn't in their room, but it sounded similar. But it was very faint. "Dunno. Kind of annoying now that you pointed it out, though."

Just as she reached to turn up the TV, with hardly a knock, Lenore burst into the room. With the open door, the noise sharpened, and Ree recognized it a split-second before Lenore spoke. "Tranjero's back!"

"Tranjero?" Maya asked.

"Allen's elgyem!" Ree shouted, scrambling towards the door. Lenore disappeared again with a swish of her black hair.

"Oh my god! _That's_ what's making that noise?!"

Other guests were looking out into the hallway, on a spectrum of irritated to scared. Lenore had left the door open, and the sound carried. Ree and Maya ducked in at the same time, curious pokémon on their heels, to find Allen, half-dressed and teary-eyed, next to a screeching bundle of blankets. "Y-Yes sir, just now. On his own," he said into a phone. He raised a hand when he noticed the girls enter, and pointed to the pile.

"He just teleported back in, unaccompanied. He's still making that sound. I think he's still injured," Lenore said, trying to keep her voice down but having to raise it to be heard over the noise. "Allen's on the phone to his superior. This vacation might have to be cut short."

"No sir, I did not see any new wounds on him, just the reported gunshot wound."

The screeching abruptly died. Allen fumbled the phone in his haste to uncover the elgyem. His audino dove into the blankets with him.

Lenore took the phone as the man fought to get all of the blankets off. Tranjero peeked out, with that same hole in his head, but otherwise in one piece. He turned to look at Allen, then raised his arms, like a child wanting to be picked up.

"This is Doctor Lenore Coracks—yes, I'm with Pershing. The elgyem stopped making that noise, but he still seems to be conscious and moving. Advise."

"Oh my god, Tranjero, what did she do to you...?" Allen whispered as he pressed his fingers lightly against the injury. The psychic twitched, then his eyes flared. Allen slumped onto the bed and his audino squealed in fright.

"Allen!" Ree started forward, but Lenore held out an arm.

She had the audacity to roll her eyes, too. Ree would have punched her, had her phone conversation not remained so calm. "Yes, the elgyem is still conscious. He's knocked out Pershing. I have two civilians with me. Ree, Maya, why don't you two quietly return to your room?"

"But Allen—!" Maya squeaked. With jerky movements, the elgyem climbed over Allen's body until he was sitting on his chest. Tranjero then curled up and began humming.

"We're dealing with an injured, conscious psychic, so please don't try to take him from his handler."

"But _Allen_!" Ree insisted.

"An injured, conscious psychic whose last memories of his original handler were that of said handler getting injured on duty. Hopefully, he's just reading Allen's memories and taking stock of his body. He'll be fine once he realizes he's had medical attention."

"He knocked him out!"

"Allen's mind has been trained to handle that. And UFO elgyem are trained to take out overly emotional personnel in case of injury. He probably tried to teleport him out of here, but couldn't with another body," Lenore patiently explained. Ree would have demanded more answers, had another pair not appeared on the scene in full uniform. The man pulled his goggles off, letting them hang around his neck, and took quick stock of the room, eyes narrowing briefly at the two girls behind Lenore. His beheeyem clung to his waist almost shyly. "Becker, right?" Lenore asked, drawing his attention.

"Lieutenant Colonel Luca Becker, ma'am. I'm here to pick up Pershing and his returned elgyem." He looked over Lenore again, like he was trying to place her. "And you three are...?"

"Ree Majors is the girl he was assigned to while he was working with me. The younger is her sister, Maya Majors. They're both legal trainers."

"And you are?"

Lenore crossed her arms. "Doctor Lenore Coracks, OB/GYN and retired UFO medic. I have Leland Aminov's personal permission to utilize Pershing in guarding this girl and myself while in the field. Is there anything _else_, or would you like to help us with this elgyem?"

Luca's eyes widened at her name. "Y-Yes, sorry, I was just making certain of the situation. I'll be taking Pershing and his pokémon. Do you know if he has any other trained pokémon with him that aren't on his body?"

"The audino is his. Are we allowed to accompany you?"

"Not me. I'll send word for someone else to pick you up at the pokémon center or the police station, if you have a reason to accompany him."

"No, we'll... Tomorrow morning. All of his other pokémon should be in his bag there."

Luca nodded and his beheeyem scooped all of his things together with telekinesis. The man reached out tentatively with a gloved hand until he made contact with Allen's foot, and then they all disappeared.

"So, you're hot shit, huh?" Ree asked without preamble.

"He seemed to respect you an awful lot. You're retired UFO?" Maya added.

"I don't suppose I can herd you back to your room without answering, can I?" The girls shook their heads. Lenore massaged her temples and ground out, "Yes, I used to work with the field operations. My husband and I garnered a bit of a reputation and a healthy track record with our missions. I retired, and now I work in the private sector, although I'm not above using my ties for personal projects, as you can see."

"Husband?" Maya asked, starry-eyed.

"I retired. He didn't," Lenore said curtly. "Now please, back to your room. We'll see what Allen's situation is in the morning before we plan anything else."

They, and the pokémon that had followed them, were shut out of the room. They trudged back to their own room to find Unika had spread more nail polish on their pillows. "...She doesn't wear a ring, does she?" Maya asked after a beat.

"No, she doesn't." Ree had known she'd worked with the UFOs in the past, but she hadn't known Lenore had been important or well-known. Had she outranked Allen? Maria? That other guy? ...And she retired, alone, to work as a baby doctor.

They went to bed soon after that, not saying much else. Ree slept fitfully, worried about Allen and regretting eating that sushi after all. The following morning wasn't much better.

"There's no need for all of us to go. I'm just going to talk to Allen and Leland. The vacation's over, that's it. It's not an emergency," Lenore said as she put her hair up in a clip.

"What about my gun lessons?!"

"What about—" Maya cut herself off. Ree gave her a confused look.

"Allen said he talked to the instructor, so you are free to finish your lessons. Honestly, we're not your parents, nor your babysitters. The vacation was pleasant while it lasted, but now we're back to work, so please remember to take your vitamins."

"You're just _ditching_ us here?!" Ree growled.

"Yes, I am. Allen's leave was almost up, anyway, and he's healed enough to go back on active duty if Tranjero can. We'll be back for your next appointment, which should be in two weeks. You can text or call me to let me know where you'll be—"

"I'm going with you!" Maya declared. Lenore and Ree wore matching expressions of incredulity, the former paused halfway to pushing glasses onto her nose.

"And... why?"

"He's at the UFO headquarters in Opelucid, right? I need to get there, too, and with the weather getting snowier, hitching a ride with your psychic transport is my best bet."

"I am not some shuttle for teenage girls. The UFOs aren't, either," Lenore replied, still nonplussed by her abrupt persistence.

"I have eight badges."

"That legally doesn't mean anything."

"I have eight badges and I'm going to enlist."

Lenore's glasses slid a little down her nose. "You... what? I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"

"I'm going to enlist with the UFOs," Maya repeated clearly. "I have eight badges, they'd be frothing at the mouth to accept me. I was going to ask Allen about this later, but if you're ditching us, I'll just go along with you now."

"Uh, Maya, where the _fuck_ did this come from?" Ree asked in an undertone.

Lenore groaned at her phone beeping. "Well, I'm running late, so you two can talk this out yourselves—"

"I'm coming with you."

"Like hell you are!" Ree barked.

"If you don't take me along with you now, I'll just go to the Undella police station and talk to someone there. They'd just send someone to pick me up there. Like I said, they'll be tripping over themselves to accept me," Maya said.

"Good, then do that." Lenore shoved her glasses back up, pulled her coat on, and strode away without a single look back, leaving the two sisters alone with a lot to talk about.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Well, that just happened. Allen's back on duty, Lenore's out of the picture, Ree has to finish training, and Maya evidently wants to join the Unovan Field Operations. Sisters are supposed to talk about things! Or so says Ree, but Maya's acting pretty tight-lipped about it all. So that leaves Ree down one boyfriend, one bodyguard, one doctor, and potentially down a sister... What else can she lose?


	37. Of Saying Goodbye

"I wish the Unovan Field Operations were _half_ as glamorous as it's made out to be," Thomas said through a frozen grin. He waved to all the recruits, most of whom stared back with starry eyes.

"Oh, it was made out to be glamorous? I must have missed that memo," Lenore hissed back. She wasn't even trying to smile.

"At least we're on training duty for the month." The organization was being exceedingly kind to the couple after their loss earlier in the year. That meant just about everything but active duty. Right then they were on loan from the UFOs to a general training facility; less than half of the teenagers they were looking at would actually join the organization. Probably most would head to the police or private sector. Lenore would have rather been elbow-deep in pokémon guts if it meant she could _do_ something again rather than sit and stew. But it was training, so maybe one of the kids would give her that opportunity soon enough.

With their record, they should have just been given the extra time off if they wanted to waste their time.

A gun went off. There were two yelps, one bird squawk, and four panicked elgyem who teleported their new handlers completely out of the situation.

"Can we train the _new_-new recruits instead? They're smaller, and cuter, and haven't had weapons training yet," Lenore asked.

"All UFO recruits, return your elgyem!" another instructor shouted. There were several flashes as pokémon disappeared out of the crowd. It didn't seem like there were that many of them in that class.

"That's now how the medic is supposed to act. I think someone might be bleeding," Thomas shot back as one of the other instructors rushed over to make sure everyone was okay. "We're not doing a very good job at making these kids want to join the UFOs, are we?" He still didn't move to help anyone, but did take off his goggles, and hung them around his neck while he rubbed at his eyes.

"Contacts bothering you?"

"If we're not in the field, we shouldn't have to be in full uniform. Let's start a petition."

A young woman and her elgyem teleported back into the building, onto the stage right behind the couple. Several of the nearer recruits jumped at her sudden reappearance. "Are you bleeding?" Lenore asked archly.

The girl blinked her mismatched eyes, then shook her head quickly. "No ma'am!" She then saluted. Lenore had to turn away while she rolled her eyes. The young woman then jumped off the stage just as a darker-haired girl of the same age came running through the crowd.

"You took my elgyem!" she accused as the psychic pokémon launched itself at her.

"You pushed me into it!"

"How many more do you think we're missing? I hadn't thought to put locks on any of the kids yet, so we might have to hope they can make it back on their own," Thomas wondered aloud.

"Delgado, _off_! Return your elgyem and get over here!" one of the instructors howled as the girls got into a fistfight.

A pair of boys returned next, one clinging to the other tightly. The elgyem attached to his pant leg seemed to be his own, at least. The taller of them tried to pull himself away, to no avail. "Stop dragging me places with that dumb thing!"

"Why do they even train everyone together?" Lenore asked flatly.

"I think it has to do with costs and the military not liking the organization."

"Well _maybe_ if they didn't let Leland handle—"

"Come on, Nora, be nice. We're supposed to enjoy our month of babysitting."

"Pershing, return the elgyem! Back in line! And Delgado, I am _not_ warning you again!"

"I'd rather be dead," Lenore said flatly. Thomas took her hand and squeezed it. She returned the move, but it didn't help her mood.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty-Seven**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Saying Goodbye

-.-.-

"So, when exactly were you planning on telling me about this little idea of yours?" Ree asked.

Maya fidgeted under her gaze. "Um... When I hit Opelucid?"

"And _why_ did you decide to join the UFOs? You already have eight badges, is Victory Road that tough? Become a champion and you'd be set!"

"It _is_ hard," she grumbled. Ree raised an eyebrow. "I wanna see you in—awhile and see how you like traversing Victory Road. But it's not just that, anyway."

"Then what is it? Did Allen's glamorous chest wound or Lenore's sad story inspire you to throw your life away?"

"Throw my life away?! Is that what you think they're doing?" Maya demanded. Before Ree could backpedal, she got up in her face and jabbed her finger into her sternum. "You get a lot of perks from hanging around with them, privileges you're not even aware of, and now you're saying it's a waste?"

"That's not what I meant. Allen is—he's built for this sort of thing. And, anyway, Lenore left that life behind for a reason!"

"She still signed up to begin with."

"So she had a good reason. That's what I'm asking you! What's _your_ good reason?"

The anger left her frame and her shoulders sagged. Maya folded her arms and turned from her sister. "...I stand a better chance at getting Edgar back this way. Field operatives have some power, not in the way regular trainers, even strong trainers, get. Legitimate power. Power to look up names in databases and teleport across a country to find someone."

"That..." It hadn't occurred to her that Maya was operating with less information than she was. But why should she? Ree had gotten the name from Maria—from a UFO. Lenore, with her own connections, confirmed it. Maya had been working on her own. But now, admitting she knew was admitting she had been (accidentally) withholding information. "That's kind of a shitty reason for signing up with a military branch."

"They're more like the police, anyway."

"Still shitty."

"I can track down the man who killed Bo and took Edgar. I can avenge him and get my other pokémon back. You've done far worse for far less, Ree."

"Never anything long-term!"

"You _have_ tried to join the military."

"But I never succeeded! That's the difference between us. You actually succeed at shit."

"This isn't some whim I came up with just now. I've been thinking about it for awhile, even if I didn't talk about it with you. This is my life, and it's my decision. While I value your input, it's still ultimately mine to make."

That was so tactful and diplomatic of her. It made Ree all the more frustrated with her. "What if _I_ helped you track this guy down? You know, if you join them, and you manage to find him, they're not gonna let you—"

"Not gonna let me what, murder this guy in cold blood? That's not what I want, Ree! I just—I want Edgar back! First and foremost, I want my pokémon back, beyond _anything_ else." She scrubbed at her eyes, which were red but dry. "My team is—I think we can _almost_ recover from this if I can just get him back. But I can't be down two of my powerhouses, and it's driving me up a wall. Every little fun battle we get in here? Nearly sends me into a panic attack because most of my strategies are shot. Yeah, I can power through things, and I can rely on the rest of my team to... The _rest_ of my team. The rest. That's why I need to do this, Ree. For the _rest_ of my team."

Maya turned and ran from her. Ree didn't follow her. She sunk down where she stood, pulling on her hair, torn between understanding her sister and not wanting her to end up like Allen or Lenore. Injured and betrayed, or bitter and widowed. She'd probably be good at being a UFO, too. She was a great battler and worked well with others, once she got past the shock of seeing cute guys. But Ree couldn't even use that against her. Guys in uniform were probably a big factor on why she was joining up with them instead of anything else.

But she only had four pokémon. As she'd said, two of her strongest were gone. It'd be months before they partnered her with an elgyem, and those weren't meant to be battling pokémon. Who knew when she'd be able to get Edgar back.

She'd let her sister cool off, and she'd try to do the same. She still had two more lessons to go to. She had to explain the situation to Hiranna, but the woman took it in stride. Ree had to wonder if she was ever fazed. She got to shoot again, however, which let her burn off her tension in probably the second most wonderful way she knew. She made a mental note to stop in at ranges in the future when she was mad and just shoot. Like video games, only better. The force of the recoil, the ringing in her ears, the smell of the guns, she could really get used to it all.

She had never given much thought to actually owning a gun before. Gun laws were incredibly strict, and she didn't exactly have the patience to sit around and wait for paperwork to go through. She probably had to undergo more training to open carry, too. Or would concealed be easier? She didn't know much about the legality of it all, and she was too intimidated to ask Hiranna.

"Are you gonna tell me what the catch is? I know Allen set up some kind of negative to this."

"I don't have the faintest idea what you're talking about."

The rest of the lesson was about disarming armed people. Guns were really only effective in certain circumstances, and she'd likely just come up against people with handguns, so that was what they focused on. Ree only daydreamed a little about parachuting in to disarm a sniper to save a politician. Or a gym leader (except Elesa). Or Scott. And then they'd smooch, and get back together, and her shirt would be artfully torn from a prior fight, and he'd—

"So was the operative in charge of keeping you focused, or is it a coincidence that you're only _now_ making kissing faces at the glass?" Hiranna interrupted.

"I... really like glass, okay?"

"Please stay focused while you're here. This _is_ important."

"Yeah, fine."

She'd already lost Scott, and now she was about to lose Maya, too. That alone didn't cause her as much terror as she would have thought. She'd been training without her sister before, and she could survive again afterwards. Maya putting herself in danger and making a big move for her future were more worrying. Especially with only four pokémon. The badges were a status symbol. A great one, but something that wouldn't keep her afloat in battling forever.

Just like her badge from Elesa. Yes, she'd beaten her, and she had badges past it. But she wouldn't be able to replicate it. Not without Mitzi, even if she had Unika now. Well, okay, maybe the tynamo could help with the damned emolga, but the fact of the matter was that Ree knew that badges didn't necessarily equal current strength. Once push came to shove, she wasn't sure how Maya could hold up.

_Maybe she'll be disqualified from joining_, Ree thought, not without a little hope. Eight badges looked great on paper, but once they battle-tested her, they'd see the discrepancy. And that made her feel like an asshole. She was hoping that her little sister's crippled team would stop her from pursuing a way to regain a lost teammate.

Maya wasn't in the wrong. She knew that. She just had to accept it.

-.-.-

"What if they disqualify you?" was the first words out of her mouth when her sister finally returned that evening. Ree wrinkled her nose at her disheveled appearance. She smelled like too much body spray, vanilla and something flowery, clearly to cover up other things. "Fuck, Maya, come on. Really?"

"Yeah, I did. And they won't disqualify me, I have eight badges."

"If they test you in a battle..."

"Which they will," Maya pointed out as she unzipped her boots. She hefted one, like she was debating throwing it at Ree's head. "I'm not completely up to snuff, but it doesn't mean I'm weak. And you forget, they accept other people, too. They'll accept _way_ weaker trainers than me and just put them through extra team training."

"But they'll notice the discrepancy in your reported strength and actual strength. They might get suspicious."

"Then I'll tell them the truth. I'm sure I'm not the only one to join up in search of someone. And it's not like losing pokémon is the rarest thing on the planet, either. Teams change all the time."

"How..." It probably wasn't the amount of pokémon she had, but the strength of the team. But it wouldn't hurt. "How strong do you think you have to be to skip the team training bit?"

"I'm sure there's some no matter what, just to iron out the kinks with anyone. But I don't know the exact methods or anything. I was just hoping to hit them hard and fast and cross my fingers."

"I know the strategy well," she agreed, heart still heavy. "...Tomorrow's my last day of gun training."

"I know, that's why I haven't left yet. I'm really curious about the catch, too." Maya sat on the edge of the bed next to her, and looked down at Lala and Whippy, who were nestled up together under Ree's arm.

She released her own pokémon, and immediately the whimsicott leapt out from under the servine, upending him with a squeal on his part. "Scott!" Lala declared, throwing herself at Talia and nuzzling into her neck. The lilligant wrapped her arms around her and made a contented humming sound.

"That's gonna be heartbreaking tomorrow," Maya said and sighed.

Ree eyed them. "...Yeah." She knew she'd see her sister again, whenever she got breaks or went on leave. _...On leave. She's actually serious about doing this._ "Maya—"

She cut her off by shoving a stapled packet of papers in her face. She reeled back so she could properly read them. UFO enlistment paperwork. Filled out. With a stamp on top saying '_CONFIRMED_'.

"Filled it out today and I'm leaving the day after tomorrow. I'm at least locked into testing and more paperwork. Does that show you how serious I am?"

"Maya, if I were _that_ serious about stopping you, I'd just tell mom and dad," Ree quietly told her.

She didn't have anything to say to that.

"On that note, I am _not_ the one telling them," she added.

"You're keeping a secret pregnancy from them, so I think I get to keep a secret enlistment from them."

"Mine has an expiration date. Yours is... longer."

"Just five years for the first enlistment. And there _are_ ways to get out if I absolutely have to. It's not like they'll take me out behind the barn and shoot me if I want to leave." Maya flopped back onto the bed, narrowly missing the grass girlfriends, and they hopped onto her chest for snuggle time.

Just five years. Right. Ree could hardly think ahead five months, much less five years into the future. Whippy looked up at his trainer with big, hopeful eyes, and she caved in and laid down so he could snuggle up on her, too. She wrapped her arms around her starter and resisted the urge to sigh. What had caused her life to head in such strange directions?

"Would you want to do this if it weren't for Edgar?"

"...I'm not sure. It's not as if I haven't thought about it before. I like the idea of doing something for other people. Doing escorts for the government or stuff like that, it's sort of neat at first, but all of the shadiness surrounding it is gross. Something legitimate would be nice. Legitimate and not for myself."

"There's nothing wrong with doing something for yourself," Ree pointed out darkly.

"No, there's not," Maya granted. "And maybe that's why I'm doing this now, rather than later. It's for myself now. Before I guess I thought I'd become a champion, be a minor celebrity for awhile, and then join up with something like the UFOs and jump straight into the high ranks. I figured earning badges could be a shortcut to anything I wanted later in life."

"It can be. And at least you were thinking about the future."

"Let's change the subject?"

"Depends what to."

"Wanna place bets on what you think the catch is on this gun training?"

"If I had any solid guesses, I would've accused him of it already. I'm _getting_ the training, Maya. You can't do take-backs on knowledge. And now, without him here, I'm still getting it. So whatever it is, he doesn't have to police it or see through."

"And the lady in on it doesn't seem in on it?"

"No, the woman's like a block of granite. If it's something joke-y, she wouldn't play along. She admits it's unorthodox, but that's it."

"Your pokémon haven't caught onto anything? No guesses from them?"

"I... haven't really asked them. But I don't know what they could figure out that I couldn't." She looked down at the servine sitting on her chest. "Any guesses, mister?"

"Vine!"

"Thought not. Any guesses on when you'll evolve again?" she asked. She missed how her sister stiffened.

"Vine!"

"Whimsi-scott!" Lala exclaimed, pulling her face away from Talia.

"Gant?"

"Talia thinks it's not a trick."

"Li-gant."

"And that's the trick."

"I wish I could understand them as well as you can," Ree groaned.

"You're doing very well already. And some people are better with some pokémon than others. I think it's why I'm so drawn to grass pokémon. Isn't that right, girls?" Maya cooed and buried her face in fluff and leaves.

Ree privately wondered if practicing with Maya's team helped her with her own. Especially Bo; she could understand Whippy fairly well considering how hard it was to read his expressions sometimes. And she was no stranger to pidove, even if Harper had outgrown that. Lala and Unika were the harder ones to understand, and maybe that just boiled down to inexperience. The thought was a little reassuring.

"Could you imagine being born as one of those people who understands all pokémon? Or have a _talking_ pokémon?"

"Says the girl with—who had a psychic."

"Edgar only translated himself and other pokémon sometimes. He was sort of a brat. And that, too, depends on the pokémon and their skill level. He could never really translate dark pokémon, even if he tried..."

"Maybe you should be a pokémon researcher, with this fount of knowledge you got goin' on," she said dryly.

"You're telling me you haven't learned about pokémon things in the course of your journey?"

"I learned that servine can eat fine with three fangs."

"Ree, what did you do to him?!" Maya rolled over, accidentally rolling on top of the two grass pokémon, and shoved her fingers in Whippy's mouth to expose his teeth and gums. He squirmed and whined, but didn't try to bite or claw her. "How did that happen?!"

"He got a cavity! And don't look at _me_, I was unaware of it. Look at the fluff monster you're laying on."

"You _let_ her do this?"

"It was her idea, then one of Harry's pokémon helped her with it. He hasn't really seemed to mind it since then, and he's been mostly remembering to brush." He'd been remembering when she'd remind him, anyway.

"You... have him brushing his teeth? With a toothbrush?"

"Yeah, Lala and sort of Harper too. Harper doesn't have teeth, but it's all or nothing. We haven't been doing it much since Uni joined up, and I have _no_ idea how we're gonna get that started. Might have to wait until she evolves. Don't they grow arms?"

"Looks like you still have plenty to learn," Maya grumbled. She flicked spit off her fingers as Whippy poked his tongue out at her.

"You do, too. ...Have fun in training, Maya."

"Not leaving for another two days."

"I just wanted to tell you that."

"...Thank you, Ree. It means a lot."

"Still won't field with mom and dad for you, though."

"Bitch."

-.-.-

Ree completed her gun safety lessons. Her pokémon were used to the sound and sight of guns, she knew roughly the pieces and make-up of common types of handguns, and she knew how to get guns out of people's hands (and some pokémon, too). Unofficially, she also knew how to lethally shoot humans and several types of pokémon, and her aim wasn't too bad, either. She'd have killed to get the chance to shoot a shotgun, but they didn't encourage that in shooting ranges, apparently, and most definitely not for her. She'd just jump into the gun range in the next town she visited. No big deal.

"Did you even know what the catch was Allen had?" Ree asked as she packed up her things. She felt oddly proud of herself. Not that the lessons were difficult, but she got them done, and without her quasi-military guardian breathing down her neck. She was safer. Probably.

Hiranna rolled a pokéball back and forth on her thigh. "I believe so."

"...Are you gonna tell me? It's really a moot point now."

"It is," she agreed.

"So, are you gonna? Pretty please? I was a stellar student, I at least get that much."

"You didn't hear it from me, then."

"Deal!"

She stood up and hooked the pokéball onto her belt. Ree handed over the goggles and protective earmuffs, eager to see what it was. Even if she wouldn't like it, at least she'd _know_. And without Allen around, she could go off and get a new Sophia, anyway.

Hiranna led her, for the last time, down the hallway and back out into the entryway. Ree looked around. "Okay, so... tell me? And aren't I supposed to get some sort of certificate or something?"

"No, you won't."

"What—that's the catch, isn't it."

"Yes. This was all unofficial. You'll have to go through the same regimen again in some other city if you'd like the government to recognize your training." So it was a hassle and a stalling method. Not as bad as it could have been. Hiranna crossed her arms and continued, "Which you won't be legal for in six months."

"_What_?!" Ree screeched.

"You've been blacklisted. You have the baseline training in case of emergencies, but you won't be able to prove it for another half of a year."

That was some major stalling. That was well after she'd be done with the baby thing, and Allen would feasibly be out of her life, so she could understand some level of his logic. Which only infuriated her further. "Is there _any_ way to get rid of it? What if—what if I need something in an emergency?"

The woman shrugged. "I can think of very, very few emergencies in which you personally would need a firearm. Which, by the way, won't happen for another year. You've also been blacklisted from buying guns. As I understand it, that one was more difficult for the operative to pull off. You should be proud of the lengths he goes to—"

"Son of a _fuck_! That little shit! I can't believe he just made me waste my week—we were in Undella, I could've been doing _anything_ else—"

"Please have your tantrum outside. It was a pleasure training you." She didn't sound very sincere. Hiranna all but pushed her out the doors. "I hope to see your business again. In six months. Don't extend your blacklist in that time."

Ree screamed at the winter sky.

-.-.-

Maya found Ree in the only big Undella sports store, swinging around baseball bats to test them and generally scaring the rest of the patrons. "So, how bad was the catch? That bad?"

"I've been blacklisted."

Maya snorted and tried to hide it with her hand. Ree glowered at her.

"You, uh, didn't see that coming?" she asked.

"I didn't know it could happen. It's the training _and_ from owning a gun."

"That's probably for the best."

"I wasn't in a rush to go off and clear out a gun store!"

"Just a sports store."

"I'm _serious_! I don't like guns, except in _Fallout_ and _Mass Effect_ and sometimes _Call of Duty_. It's a love-hate relationship there. I'm not going to rush out and get one, not when I know what sort of trouble they invite, and not when I know how easy it can be to disarm someone who has one. And not with all the paperwork. But _still_! Just! Once!" She punctuated each word with another swing of the latest bat. "I'd like to _not_ have someone believe the worst of me! Just. Fucking. Once."

"He did it to prevent temptation, not because he thought you'd become a serial killer."

"I can handle that myself! ...Most of the time." She slumped, tears suddenly stinging at her eyes. The bat clattered to the floor. "I'm overemotional and dumb as fuck but I'm not a monster, Maya. I want someone else to believe that."

"No, no, of course you're not. You don't have to convince me of that. I'm your sister, so I already know you're dumb, but you're a good person underneath it. And a great trainer. Just be glad you have some knowledge of how to better protect your team now, yeah?" Maya said soothingly as she picked up the bat and shoved it back in the nearest rack.

"It's just not fair. I don't _mean_ to be an asshole! I just—I want to keep people I care about safe—I don't mean to fuck up all the time—" She was actually crying, trying (and failing) to stifle sobs.

It was a little thing, she knew. Allen was trying to keep her safe, and in an ultimately passive way. But he took the choice out of her hands, because he thought she wouldn't make the right one. He didn't trust her. And Scott and her were on a break, and Kev was still mad at her, and Maya was making a huge life decision, and Tori had left, and Mitzi had died, and Harper had been shot, and—and she was sobbing and hyperventilating in the middle of a sports store.

"Are—Can I help e-either of you?" a sales associate meekly asked.

"Ah, yes, we were just wrapping this up," Maya said with a smile. "We'll take that bat there and be on our way out."

She gave the bat to Ree after it was paid for, herded her out the door, and down the sidewalk. She hugged Sophia IV to her chest and bawled. It wasn't fair, none of it was fair. And she hadn't asked for the boatload of extra emotions to make it all feel worse.

"Would a shopping trip make you feel better?" Maya asked as they made their way downtown. "We'll both have to get some new gear."

"Y-Yours will be issued to you," she accused.

"I do need a couple of things. And you need to winterize your gear. The backpack is staying, though."

The awful neon pink and orange backpack could stay. Ree noticed her coat was still a little light for the chill wind, but she had figured layering would fix the issue. An actual winter coat would probably be wiser. Maya led the way to a thrift store and Ree worked on getting the plastic off of her new bat. She didn't feel guilty in the least for getting a new Sophia immediately after her lessons finished; Allen probably knew she would have, anyway. The grip was padded, but the metal itself was already cool from the outside air. That might be an issue in the future.

The girls managed to get Ree a coat, although it was difficult to find one long enough to be worthwhile. She ducked out of getting a hat, scarf, or mittens, since Harry had more than covered that for her. But she did get some more pants, including some leggings to layer underneath jeans. She was going to miss the warm winter nights, safely inside. Not that she wouldn't spend the majority of the cold months in cities, but she had to get out of Undella. It was turning into the capital of bad memories.

Not _quite_ as bad as Nimbasa. But close.

They hit up a couple more shops before dusk forced them back to their room for the night. When the sun set, the temperature _dropped_. Ree was a little shocked at how fast winter was really closing in on them. Over dinner, Maya lectured her on keeping grass pokémon safe in cold weather until she was blue in the face. She guessed that some of it applied to Harper, too, since she shared the weakness, but at least she was warm-blooded. Neither of them knew what to do with the tynamo.

But she seemed pleased that Whippy had a scarf. "Some day, I really wanna meet this knitting girl. This is seriously nice!"

"He's had the scarf for awhile, you've seen it on him."

"With how fast you rip, tear, burn, lose, and generally go through clothes, I'm surprised he's kept it this long. You could get little leg warmers for your tranquill. And maybe like... a tube for the tynamo? Didn't you say you can make stuff that holds an electric charge from mareep wool?"

They both looked over at Unika, who sparked, pleased by their sudden attention. "Ty!"

"That's an idea. I'll ask Harry about it next time I talk to her." She tried picturing Harper wearing tiny leg warmers. The mental image was hideously adorable. She had to get some. "Just make me a list, and I'll go out and get everything tomorrow before I leave town. I should have enough to grab it."

"Lala should be okay, since she has all of her fluff, but maybe mittens and booties if you're outside for long periods... Whippy, too, does need more than just his scarf. Especially if he'll be walking in snow. Something for his tail—you can kind of curl the leafy part up, but make sure you unwrap it from time to time so he can get some sunlight—and maybe something for his hands."

"He'll be evolving soon enough, which is why I haven't wanted to get a shitton of stuff for him. Harper, how much bigger are you gonna get?" She knew how big serperior were, but she didn't know much about what her bird would end up as.

Evidently, neither did Harper. She rustled her wings in a bird approximation of a shrug.

"I've seen unfezant, and they're pretty big. Like, this big." Maya held her arms out, far enough that Ree had trouble believing her. Harper as a tranquill was already large. The two exchanged a look. Unika zoomed back and forth between Maya's hands, squealing excitedly at the size.

"I guess that'll be a bridge I cross when I get there. Until then, itty bitty leg warmers. And booties for all." Ree sat down and watched as Talia tried to wrap Lala up in one of Maya's scarves. The brown and green stripes really worked for her. "...Are we going to talk about the main issue tomorrow?"

Ree and Maya had been separated often enough that they knew their goodbye wouldn't go terribly. Sad, and there would probably be tears, but it was nothing new to them. Lilith might shed some tears for Ree, and Unika may or may not miss her new playmates. But then there was Lala and Talia.

Either they were not as sharp as the girls thought (unlikely), they had very selective hearing (maybe), or they were deep, deep in denial (likely). Ree knew Lala was clever. She had to know there was a time limit on her relations with Talia. And the lilligant seemed smart, too, although admittedly she didn't know very much about her. She'd always kept to herself during Maya's visits home.

The way Lala peered at Ree out of the corner of her eye tipped her off. Oh yes, they knew. They knew and they were just ignoring the problem. That might work for Talia, who would probably just say her goodbyes loudly and sorrowfully but ultimately gracefully, but Lala... She was more devious than that. Devious and sly and even cruel at times. Not that Ree was worried about her safety, but she was worried for what Lala was planning. There was no way she _wasn't_ planning something.

But she was zero for one on figuring out others' tricks lately.

Then again, she was motherfucking Ree Adelaide Majors. She was known for many things; she was loyal to her sister, pretty tricky herself, unpredictable to any outside viewers, and above all else, impulsive. On some deep, base level, she'd known for awhile that it was probably coming. Maya was going to leave. As Ree exchanged a cool look with Lala, she wondered if she was as difficult to read as she hoped. Or maybe it'd be easier if she were readable. She wasn't built for loud, messy emotions. They overtaxed her. But she supposed they'd find out tomorrow morning.

Sleep was difficult that night, but when it came, it was blessedly heavy. Ree didn't stir again until Whippy smacked her in the face with his tail.

"Wha?"

"I've been trying to wake you for twenty minutes!" Maya cried in exasperation. "Good job, Whippy."

"Vine-servine!"

"I know she wouldn't."

"_You_ can understand him?" Ree sleepily demanded.

"Not perfectly, but I, well, _did_ have a servine, even if it was a couple years ago now."

Curse her dumb, tired self. Rubbing at her face to make sure she wouldn't bruise, she scooped up Whippy with her other arm. He was getting bigger, as a servine. That wasn't something she had necessarily counted on. "D-Day, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm mostly packed. I was just hoping you could come down to breakfast with me."

"Ser!"

"Let me put on pants."

She ended up putting on pajama pants to go down to the cafeteria, but that early, she was far from the only one. Lala and Talia were inseparable, all but sitting on each other, and Maya ended up having to bring them a plate of food to share to ensure they were fed. Ree had to (again) fish Whippy out of the chocolate chip pancake dish at the buffet bar.

Maya's pokémon were all fairly awake, considering the time. They probably would've gotten used to it, she supposed, and for awhile, she had been doing pretty good, too. But sleep schedules were easy to mess up. Harper was still dozing lightly, head halfway tucked under her wing, and Unika was nestled up beside her, snoring. Whippy was well on his way to a sugar high and Lala seemed decently conscious, if she leaned a little heavily on the lilligant beside her.

Ree looked at the grass pair across the table from her. Evaluating. She imagined Lala gave her similar looks when she wasn't making sad lovestruck faces at Talia.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Maya asked as Ree rolled around the same hard-boiled egg yolk she'd started with.

"I could ask you the same. You've snuck all your food to Mordecai, and unsubtly at that." The sawsbuck snorted and flicked his ears back, but didn't look at all embarrassed at being called out.

Maya shrugged. "I don't want to get sick, and I guess I'm nervous. Should I be nervous? Not that I regret this! I just..." She ran a hand over her face and dropped her voice into a whisper. "What if the officer who escorts me is really cute. What if I lose it, Ree. What if I turn into an awkward mess?"

"Right. _That's_ what you're worried about."

"Legitimate fear!"

"Legitimate, but still kinda silly." Her little sister glowered at her, but Ree just gestured vaguely with her fork, not at all intimidated. "Okay, so you babble and apologize too much when you are approached by a hot guy. But it wears off, we both know. _And_ it vanishes instantly when you're in a battle. So think of whoever picks you up as your next challenger."

"That probably won't work."

"Won't hurt to try. Don't know what else to tell you this early in the morning, kid." It felt incredibly weird, calling her 'kid' when she was about to enlist in a semi-military organization. Or was it more like the police, or rangers? She had to do more research, especially for when her parents would inevitably call to scream in her ear about how she let Maya do it.

"My team is still... I'm nervous about battling, too. I'm not sure it'll work as a distraction," she confessed.

Ree's heart clenched. Right. "...Your team is pretty awesome, anyway."

"Y-Yeah, I guess so. I'll just keep my mind on coming up with different strategies. Mordecai is still a pretty heavy hitter, and Talia's always been good for support, but I don't even know _what_ kind of battles they'll test me in, and I'm not used to asking Lilith to solo. Mordecai and Zara, probably, but Lilith isn't made for longer battles and Talia is a little..." Maya trailed off and sniffed.

"You'll do fine."

"Probably, yeah. Just nerves. I need coffee."

"Yeah, caffeine will _definitely_ help your nerves."

Maya gave her another sharp look as she went to fetch her drink. With her gone, Ree looked over her team. Four pokémon. Good pokémon, true, but unbalanced, and not just because she specialized in grass pokémon. Mordecai had to be the new tank, Lilith was a bit of a glass cannon, Zara was middle-ground, and Talia was support. None of them were particularly fast, and grass had a lot of weaknesses to dodge.

She came back with her drink, declared breakfast over, and they went upstairs to finish packing. Ree still had shopping to do, and Maya added to her list, and then tried to give her money. Ree wouldn't take it, despite all of Maya's pleas. She even tried to give it to Whippy. "He'll just eat it."

"Then it'll be _your_ waste."

She had to snatch the wad of bills from her servine to prevent just that. They fought the entire way down and out to the police station, where Maya would be picked up. Ree stuffed money back in any pocket she could reach on Maya's coat and bag, whereas Maya kept shoving bills at her pokémon. Lala's fluff became a very expensive hiding spot.

"It's ten 'til. We should... probably get to it."

Neither moved.

Talia threw herself at Lala with a snotty, wet sob. So much for grace.

"Oh, jeez," Maya said and gave a little sniffle herself. She stepped up and wrapped her arms around Ree in a solid, full-body hug. She was going to miss the nice hugs. "You take care of yourself, and of them, and of your baby. I swear, Ree, play it smart and you can do this. I know you can. Don't take stupid risks, and try to get someone to take care of Skyla or Brycen for you. G-Get winter clothes, and I'll try to write you letters to pick up in pokémon centers, oh, it'll be like a scavenger hunt..."

"You take care of yourself in training or basic or whatever it's called. And you give 'em hell for me, okay? I know I'll do fine, but it's you I'm worried about," Ree murmured into her curly hair. Maya nodded into her shoulder.

They separated, though Maya kept her hands on her shoulders, holding her at arm's length. "Field for me with mom and dad as long as you can. I don't care what level of bullshit that entails."

She couldn't help but grin. "Shit, that's a _lot_ of freedom. You sure?"

"Yes. Set phasers on maximum BS. And I'll keep this secret of yours so long as you stay smart about it, okay? The second you get into an emergency or serious trouble, and I'm pulling out all the stops to help you."

"I guess that's fair."

It was remarkably similar to their usual goodbyes when Maya would go out training, even with the added weight of the pregnancy and enlistment. It was Lala and Talia who made things different. They were still laying on the ground, using the whimsicott's fluff as a pillow. Unika seemed to want to join them, but Harper kept a wing around her (in spite of the static) to give them their time together.

There was one long, steeling moment that seemed to stretch out forever. Then, Ree pulled the pokéball from her pocket and pressed it into Maya's hands.

"What is—oh my god. No, Ree."

"She's fast, and she's probably my strongest battler. It'll be better than starting over from scratch," Ree said quickly, trying to get it over with before she could dwell on it further. Talia slowly raised her face from Lala's ruff and they both stared at the tall girl.

"I told you to stop giving me pokémon," Maya said sadly.

"You think I could break up those two so soon after me and Scott?" Ree said, unleashing her strongest weapon. Her sister crumbled before her. "I've given this some thought. Don't worry about me. She'll stay nice and warm with you in the barracks or whatever, and she's a decent pillow, too, which I know you'll be missing. And she's smart, she's so smart, she'll work in your team great, I know it."

"What about your team?"

"I can't deal with it all grass-heavy like you could," she said and put up a braver front than she felt. "You said it yourself, I couldn't really use her for Skyla or Brycen, and I'm gonna catch a new pokémon soon, anyway. I'll send you pictures of whatever it ends up being right away."

"What about your _team_," Maya repeated, some strength coming back into her voice.

"I... They've always bickered, so maybe this was for the best?" That part would be hardest to articulate. It wasn't that Ree disliked Lala—she loved the fluff-ball dearly, despite her mischievous ways—but in a lot of ways, she didn't click. She still had issues understanding here, whereas she'd picked up on Whippy and Harper much faster, and she fought with the others sometimes a little too fiercely for Ree to feel entirely comfortable.

She'd miss her. So much. It wouldn't be like Mitzi, since they'd see her again and she'd be alive and gleefully causing mayhem elsewhere, but it would be another gap in the team. But she was serious about catching another pokémon, and if she wanted to use her winter break wisely, she had to think about balancing out her team.

Maya could handle her better, anyway. She was experienced, even if Lala was headstrong, and she had Talia to help her. And Ree really, _really_ couldn't stand to think about those two moping and pining for each other, only visiting each other every few months, if they were lucky. It did remind her a little too much of her and Scott, but not as much as she wanted Maya to believe.

"Hey, she was named after _your_ doll, too. Maybe it was fate," Ree added and shrugged.

"This is the last pokémon you're ever giving me. It's a bad habit of yours," Maya grumbled and hugged her again. It was telling that she didn't put up more of a fight. Maybe she was worried about getting there on time, or about breaking them up, or maybe she really _did_ need the help for her team.

"I have lots of those. But okay."

"...Thank you, Ree. But still—stay safe and smart out there. And get winter gear for the rest of your pokémon, unless you plan on foisting them _all_ upon me."

"No, probably not today. I'm all tapped out for altruism."

"I'm not a charity case," Maya said and punched her in the shoulder.

"No, you're going to be late for UFO enlistment. Have fun with—" Ree suddenly staggered; three grass pokémon pelted at her with their full weight. She did a double-take, then squinted down at Lilith's added force. Talia was full-on crying (still not gracefully), Lilith was squealing and wanting to be picked up, and Lala was hiding her face in her pant leg.

She couldn't hold all three of them. But she tried. Maya stopped them from falling over when Whippy jealously decided he needed in on it, and they ended up sitting on the cold concrete in a pile. Ree probably didn't cry. She was pretty sure Lala didn't. They clung to each other, silently, with the other grass pokémon swarming over them both.

It felt like no time at all had passed when she gently detached Lala from her coat. "Come on, you're with Maya now."

"Scott." She looked up at her, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Whimsi-cott."

"Still barely understand you. But I'll see you again. Have fun with Talia and have fun with Maya being the one to police you two."

"Are you Maya Majors?" The girls and pokémon jumped when a man broke into their conversation. Maya, already reddening, nodded. "I'm sorry, but we should get going. We were meeting inside."

"A-Ah, yes, sorry! Sorry, I knew that, I was just... I'll get going now," she replied meekly. He nodded and disappeared back inside the station. She extended a hand down to Ree. "I gotta get going, sorry."

"Don't apologize to me. Or him, for that matter, or anyone. You gotta go and kick ass now. Don't apologize for that."

"It's a habit," she mumbled.

"I'll break my habit when you break yours."

"That's a deal, then. And you know how well you're doing with those," she said, smiling, already doing better.

One more hug, from Maya and Lala both, and then they were gone, inside the building. The November air felt colder without them, even if Ree knew that was stupid.

As they got to walking, her three pokémon trailing quietly behind her, Ree startled them by bursting out laughing. "T-Tranquill?!" Harper asked in concern.

"Maya forgot she shoved all the money she was trying to smuggle with me in Lala's fluff," she explained and laughed harder. She was laughing so hard she was crying. Surely it was that.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: That happened, and now Ree has to live with it. How will the rest of the team handle it? And how will all of them handle it when someone new breaks into their lives, so soon after Lala's departure? Whippy learns how hard it is to shoulder the role of the protector, the hunter, and the strongest, whereas Harper has to deal with the emotional fallout of Ree's decision and Unika's adjustment to being out in the wilderness again. They both have their work cut out for them, but someone's gotta be the responsible one on the team...


	38. Of Growing

Lala bounded after the mysterious pokémon. She knew a lot about the forest she lived in, and recognized most types of pokémon, but that one had been new. New and exciting and so very, very pretty.

It took her two days to realize that the pokémon belonged to a trainer. They were only passing through, but still, her curiosity did not wane. All of the trained pokémon were ones she hadn't seen before, and after a little while, she realized that they were foreign. Their trainer talked with a strange accent and even the pokémon themselves sounded off.

On the fourth day, the pokémon noticed her. "Why have you been following us?!" it shrilled in demand, and Lala tumbled out of the bush she'd been hiding in. The pink and purple pokémon's teammate, some sort of yellow rodent, squeaked and hid behind it.

"What kind of pokémon are you?" Lala asked.

"Trained pokémon!" the yellow thing said.

"I was not asking _you_. I was asking the beautiful creature with the fluff," she snapped.

The pretty pokémon blinked its big, red eyes, and then slowly flushed. "Me? This isn't fluff, not like yours..."

"May I touch it?" Lala asked. The fluffy pokémon nodded, despite the yellow one's frown. Lala hopped over, landed lightly beside them, and ran her paws over the pink ruff around its chest. It wasn't cottony, or like fur, but almost like the down on baby pidove. She wanted to bury her face in it. That close, she could tell that the pokémon was female, too.

"Do you live in this forest?" she asked.

"Yes. All my life. I'm something akin to a reigning queen," Lala replied with a grin. It was mostly true; she was definitely one of the stronger pokémon in the forest. But rarely did she use the power against her neighbors.

"You could show our trainer how to get out!" she said happily and the whimsicott's enthusiasm seeped out of her. The pink pokémon, undeterred, chattered on. "He's been lost for _days_, it's so frustrating! None of us are very wilderness-y pokémon, and it's not as if we're from this region, and a guide is just what we've been needing!"

"What do I stand to gain by aiding a bunch of trained strangers?" Lala pouted, inching her face closer to the other's fluff.

"You'd be doing us a great kindness."

Lala didn't _do_ kindness. But she loved the texture of the downy fur in her paws. She wondered how it'd mix with her own. "Your trainer would not pose a threat to me?"

"Of course not! He's a very kind soul and listens to us. If I tell him not to battle or capture you, then he won't."

"If only all human trainers were so amenable. Very well, I shall guide you through the forest. What direction are you heading, or attempting to?"

The two trained pokémon exchanged a look. "Um, I think he wanted to head north?" the yellow thing guessed.

"We'll ask."

Despite her better judgment, Lala followed them back to their trainer. She refused to meet him, instead sticking to the shadows and trees, but persuaded the attractive pokémon to act as their go-between.

She spent five days leading them, even helping to point out food sources along the way, and she saw that the human boy actually wasn't so terrible. She knew humans varied as much as pokémon could, but so many trainers in the forest were young and brash and rude. This one treated his team with warmth and respect. Novel.

At the end of their journey, Lala was not surprised when the plump pokémon asked her to come with them. "It would be wonderful to gain a teammate as kind as you are."

Kind. She snorted. "I am not fit to be your teammate. You and your team will be fine without me," she scoffed.

"Do you not like trainers?"

"Do not ask me questions you don't want the answer to. You seem very fond of the gangly human."

"I am. He's my trainer. You would understand if—"

"It would behoove you not to finish that statement," she cut in.

The trained pokémon opposite her jumped at the interruption, then eased into a smile. "...Thank you for your help. I won't forget it, or you. Or your dashing fluff. I wish you all the best."

She reached over and pressed her beak-like snout to her cheek. She smelled very nice. And then she left, with her trainer and her team and her own future with them.

Lala made sure she was not called kind again for a very long time.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty-Eight**: Mister Snivy Whiplash's Wonderful Journey Of Growing

-.-.-

Ree started crying when she had to fight with Unika to get her in her little knitted tube. "It's the fucking hormones!" she snarled at Harper, who started in with concern, and her tone scared Unika further, so she began crying, too. The two wailed hopelessly together, feeding off of each other's noise, and Harper couldn't soothe either.

That was how they passed their first night without Lala.

"How did you sleep?" Whippy asked with a yawn and a stretch.

Harper looked ruffled. She twitched a bit at his question. "Not as well as you, it seems. How did Trainer sleep?"

"She didn't squirm so much, I guess." They both turned to watch as Ree sleepily stumbled through her morning routine. Her breath fogged in the cold morning air. "She was very warm, it was nice."

"The longer we travel together, the more I thank Tornadus I am not a reptilian pokémon," Harper said.

Ree tripped over the strap of her backpack and swore loudly. She woke Unika, but mercifully, the tynamo seemed calmer in the morning light. Harper hopped off to tend to her, or whatever it was she did—Whippy wasn't entirely sure, but it reminded him a little of how the light-haired guard had taken care of Ree. Parental, probably, though he didn't have much knowledge to compare to it. The humans had always taken care of him, not his mother.

With Lala gone, things were quieter. A little awkward. He usually chatted with her when they traveled, or tried to keep up with her, or helped her bait wild pokémon. Harper was so much more serious, and always stuck closer to Ree and Unika. The cold weather slowed everything down further. His scarf got caught on the bare branches, and, while wearing his booties made his trainer happy, they were difficult to run and climb in.

The next day, they woke up under half a foot of snow.

Whippy had never seen so much in one place, and evidently neither had Unika. Ree was less pleased by it all. "It's too fuckin' _cold_!" she screamed out the tent opening. She slapped it shut again with a huff. Whippy and Uni shared a look and he shrugged.

"Humans are weird," he said and dove into a higher drift. It felt almost painfully cold against his scales, but so smooth, and he was still fairly warm from sleeping with his trainer. It wasn't like swimming, since it was solid, but like _gliding_. He couldn't help but slither through it with glee.

"_You're_ weird!" Unika squeaked when he popped up underneath her.

"How am I weird?" he asked with a squint.

"Weirdweirdweird! But that's okay, since I'm the hero. Not you."

"What are you talking about?" Whippy asked. He used his tail as leverage to get up to her level, balancing on top of the snow's crust, and she shied away from him with what he figured was a smirk. Her mouth was weird. All of her was weird.

He was about to tell her such when Harper fell awkwardly into the snow between them. While she struggled to get on top like him, Unika giggled and somersaulted around her. "Whippy, you will worry Trainer if you are in the snow too long. Please be mindful of your health," Harper said curtly.

"I'll be fine," he grumbled.

"Unika, would you like to come help Trainer?"

"With what?" the tynamo suspiciously asked. Ree's incoherent shout filtered over to them, muffled by the tent.

"Her phone has run out of power and she would appreciate help charging it again."

"But I don't like that collar."

"It would be helpful to Trainer."

"If she doesn't make me take that gross medicine, I'll do it for her."

"Medicine is helping!" Whippy interrupted.

"Shush," Harper told him. She broke free of the snow and, very carefully, stepped onto a thicker section of its crust. It held. "Unika, Lala is gone now, which means it is only three of us left. We are together, a team. We help one another, but most vital is helping our trainer. You are the only electric pokémon. You are the only one who can help her in this way."

Uni preened with the attention. Whippy glared at her. "I'll be her hero! I can do that, at least, right?"

"Right," Harper confirmed with a beaky smile. "And I will fly with you later tonight again if you do not fight when taking your medicine."

She drooped in the air. "But it tastes like sour bile and dust."

"It makes you feel better, does it not?"

"Well... yes, but..."

"Do not argue. In the next human town, we can ask Trainer for more of those sweets you liked."

Sparkly-eyed at the idea, Unika zoomed off to help Ree. Whippy shivered in the snow. His heat was fading, and fast, but he didn't want to go back in the tent while Unika was the savior of Ree's phone. On some level, he knew his jealousy was irrational. But mostly, he pouted.

"Do not antagonize her," Harper snapped at him.

"Don't blame me! I can hardly understand her conversations half the time."

"She is excitable, not speaking another tongue. And she is younger than you, so just... bear with her. Please. We have to be a unified front for Trainer."

"She can rely on us individually. I do the battling and you do the bird stuff and Uni does the electricity stuff," he huffed. He crossed his arms and curled his tail around himself.

Harper sighed. "Please go back into the tent. You are not made for colder climes."

"No," he said stubbornly.

"Trainer will not embrace you if you are as cold as the air around you."

"I'm not going back in there with them right now. I-I'm going to keep exploring."

"You are acting like a child."

"And you're acting like a—a big dumb serious thing!" With that remark, he scampered off into the snowy forest. She squawked after him, but she wasn't there to babysit him. She wasn't even there to babysit Unika, but she was, and he could tell Ree was grateful for that.

Whippy found a hollow in a snowbank beneath a tree and curled up in it. It wasn't fair. With Lala, the clever one, gone, he was supposed to be the valuable starter again. It wasn't as if his trainer's behavior had changed, aside from crying over Lala and in her frustration with the weather. He was used to her varying moods. And she still slept with him closest.

He wasn't sure how long before he heard the crunching of boots in snow. The servine looked up at his trainer sadly. Harper was perched on one shoulder, too tall for her frame, and Unika floated over the other. "Mister, you can't run off in the cold weather like that. You forgot your scarf and booties."

He hadn't _forgot_.

Something must've shown on his face, because Ree sighed in a weary sort of way. She bent down, scooped him up, and shoved him inside her coat. He felt her jump and shiver as their skin came in contact. "You miss Lala, too, huh?"

"Not really," he grumbled, poking his snout up over her collar.

"Worth a shot. Uni, wanna go back to the tent with Harper? We'll pack up and head out soon."

"Okay!" she squealed and slid off of her shoulder like she was on an invisible slide. Harper flapped off after her.

Ree pulled off her hat and pushed it onto Whippy's face. He scrambled within the confines of her coat to get it on him right, which was difficult enough with his horn. "Harper's too responsible sometimes for the both of us, huh?"

"I guess," he mumbled.

"Someone's gotta be, I suppose. Lately I've been tearing my hair out just trying to get Unika to behave and not freeze my toes off at night. ...We should really get a fire pokémon." Ree didn't follow them back to camp, but began to meander along in the dead forest, marching awkwardly through the thick snow. "A fire pokémon would be _so_ goddamn useful. Start fires, keep us warm, take care of annoying ice pokémon... Just like an electric pokémon's super useful. Uni's important, y'know?"

He growled wordlessly into the fleece lining of her jacket. He was starting to warm up again since her body had absorbed his coldness. Didn't mean he was going to move any time soon, though.

"Whippy, this is a team. I'm thinking I'm going to start pushing for double battles again, so you three can get used to each other without Lala around. And because I've been sort of shit at team-building exercises that don't involve guns lately. Maybe a triple battle? Wait, fuck, no, that's a terrible idea."

"Three on three?" he asked. That sounded like a small-scale war. That sounded _fun_.

"Yeah. We haven't had one of those yet, but seems like it would be a hassle... Double battles for now." Ree chuckled and rubbed at her reddened nose. "I can already tell I'm listening better to you. Maybe that's all the brainpower I had to devote to figuring out Lala's schemes. Do you notice?"

"Sort of."

"Didn't get that one. Of course I couldn't keep it up."

"That's okay, it's fun anyway!" he declared and nuzzled up underneath her chin. She scratched along his jaw with another little laugh.

"Maybe I can share some of that new brainpower with Unika. Does she seem to be doing alright?"

"Maybe," he replied, mood dashed again.

"We just have to get her into the habit of wearing her little sock thing. And you, too, mister. Winter clothes are meant to be _worn_. I did not spend a shitload just to have fancy lining for my backpack."

"Jackster's trainer made mine!"

"That one I got. And Harry did not make your booties, so there."

"They get hooked on my claws!" he whined against her throat, doing his best pathetic voice.

"Then evolve, and you'll outgrow everything but the scarf. You better not outgrow the scarf."

"I'll make sure not to outgrow the scarf!" He rather liked it, anyway. Maybe it'd get caught on fewer things when it wasn't wrapped around him so many times. "But I'll get big and strong for you anyway!"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be a serperior soon enough. ...Wish you could've met Bo, really met him. You two would've had a heyday together." Ree took a deep, shaky breath, and continued, "Please try to get along with the rest of the team while I figure out what's going on. It'll all get tossed out the window once we get another teammate, and don't worry, I'll be having this conversation with Uni, too. But I need all that extra brainpower to keep working on understanding you, remember, not keeping you all from doing your own thing."

"...Fine." He didn't even do anything wrong, and he was still getting scolded. It felt unfair, but what could he say otherwise?

"Oh, fucking hell."

"What is it?"

"I forgot to send Kev a fruit basket before we left."

He laughed despite his mood and nuzzled her again. "You're funny sometimes."

"Your face is," Ree grumbled back. "But let's get back to the other two now. Time to start productive training shit and see if I can't get a decent connection on my phone. What sort of site even _sells_ fruit baskets?"

-.-.-

"You have to _zap_ it! That's what you're supposed to be doing!" Whippy yowled and lashed his tail. Unika cowered back, though from him or the wild watchog, he wasn't sure. He didn't have the patience to figure out which. When the wild pokémon lunged at her, he caught it in the side with a tackle, and they went tumbling. Unika sparked and fled. "You're supposed to battle it! Get back—oof!"

It didn't take him long to beat, even if it knocked the wind out of him. As he held his ribs, he glared up at Harper, perched in a tree. She returned his look with a severe, disappointed one of her own. She was better at it than he. "You are too harsh with her."

"We're supposed to be training!" he hissed back and thumped his tail on the snow behind him again. He was starting to cool down, which meant he'd have to return to Ree and warm back up. It really ruined whatever training schedule she'd been hoping for, and that made him feel guilty, which made him push himself harder, which made it all that much worse.

The distant sound of their trainer retching floated over on the chill breeze. Harper sighed. "She has been doing that more and more often as of late. I do not think it is the weather."

"We're stressing her out. She told me so," Whippy petulantly replied, almost hoping for a rise out of her.

Instead, she just cocked her head and sighed again. "I thought as much. It worries me."

"Well—good. But she wants us to battle more, and get stronger, and we _can't_ get stronger if Uni runs off, crying, every time we fight anything bigger than she is! And _everything_ is bigger than she is!"

"She will grow when she evolves."

"She has to get stronger to do that!"

"She will not benefit from you throwing her headfirst into battles she is outmatched in," Harper snapped.

"She won't fight tranquill."

"I will find pidove for her. Perhaps there will be water pokémon at some point. We were near the coast before, in the human town, were we not?" she mused, ruffled feathers smoothed again. He wished he could calm himself that easily. He was still annoyed by it all.

"Pokémon get stronger by fighting others. Even baby pokémon know that."

"She is young, but she is not a child."

"Then she's just being stupid."

"She is not. She is inexperienced, and her mental thorns are not making it easier."

"She's not head-injured," he said, tail still swishing, "she's poisoned in the mind. That's what makes her weird."

"She is not poisoned! She has—" Harper squawked out something that was a little too birdy for him to fully understand. He didn't want to argue it, especially not with her, but he knew Unika had something in her mind that made her act so erratically. He had seen it before in another snivy that wasn't allowed to become a starter.

"It's called a mental illness." Ree's voice startled them both. She picked her way carefully into the clearing, cradling a shivering, crying Unika in the space above her gloves.

"No! It's not! Notnotnot!" the tynamo sobbed. Whippy felt something that was not fully guilt nor pity grip him.

"There's nothing wrong with her," Ree added, uncharacteristically seriously. Uni nodded furiously. "It just means she needs our help, because we're a team, and it means she needs to keep taking her medicine. I... can't make her stop crying." She held her aloft to Harper, who guided her up onto the branch she was on. The bird whispered soothing nothings to her.

Ree sniffed snottily and gestured to Whippy before she turned and left again. He climbed a tree to jump onto her shoulders and it took her a couple moments to unzip her coat and let him in. They hardly made it any farther before she collapsed in a snow drift, her entire frame shuddering with silent sobs.

Whippy started; he had assumed it was because of the cold at first. "What's wrong? Ree, why are you crying? Are you hurt? Sick?"

It took her some time to gasp out, "C-Calm down, boy." He fell silent and pressed into her, forcing his own worries down, too. He wasn't sure if it was snot or tears dripping down onto his scales, but he didn't want to move to check. She turned and blew her nose into her glove, then made a face and wiped it in the snow. "Gross..."

"Are you okay?" he repeated quietly.

"I don't know how to handle Uni. You've probably noticed."

He had. She was not exactly shy about hiding her issues, either, though he also thought she was doing an admirable job at trying. Better than he was doing.

"She gets so worked up if you mention anything about it, so I've been trying to avoid it. Not sure if that's good or not, but I'd appreciate it if you did, too. That _is_ what you two were arguing about, right?"

"I was trying to teach her to battle."

"That got a little garbled. I think my ears are stuffed from all the crying. Point is, mister, Uni's part of the team, and she's a little young and, well, just little. But she's okay. We'll be okay with her." Ree shifted in the snow bank and drew her hood up over her hat. "I don't like this wind. Definitely need a fuckin' fire pokémon at some point. I don't know if pokémon have terms for their shit, but people call her thing bipolar disorder. All it means is that sometimes she's really excited and happy, and other times she's sad. That's it. She's okay."

"I was just trying to teach her to battle better," he said again.

"Who's the trainer here?"

"Lala was."

"That's just mean, dude. I'll toss you out on your ass into that snow if you're not careful."

"...Harper said she'd help her battle pidove," he admitted, and it felt like a fault. He was the starter; he was supposed to be next in line. And he'd _tried_. With Lala it had been a little different, since she was older and stronger and probably smarter, and also so forceful with her plans. Not that he hadn't been jealous, but Ree had been content with it (usually) so that helped.

"An advantage would do her good. You know what else would do her good? If you two didn't fucking kidnap her away from me. I'm trying to get you _all_ to listen to me in battle, not raise another little hellion. She's young and naïve, so I have the chance to act like a trainer!"

"You are the best trainer."

"You are a filthy liar."

"You're good at it!" Whippy loyally insisted. Ree snorted. That was definitely snot on his scales.

"The sunlight today is almost shot, so let's start again tomorrow. Together and all that jazz. Pidove hunting, great."

With a groan, she managed to get upright and keep him in her coat. They made it back to camp, where Harper and Unika were already situated, poking at the fire as if hoping it'd rekindle itself. A fire pokémon would be an interesting teammate, but he was skeptical. He never had good run-ins with them.

"Unika, please sit with Trainer. I would like to speak to Whippy alone," Harper said, scooting the tynamo off the log she was hovering over.

"But! But I wanna sit with you!"

"Only for a little while. I will be back."

"If you sit with Ree you get to decide what food we have tonight," Whippy offered. Unika bobbed happily in the air at that. Their food supplies were limited at best, but they could still have variety within that. Little things.

He followed Harper off a little ways in the darkening forest, in spite of the betrayed look Ree gave them both for leaving her alone with medicine duty, and only then did the nerves set in. If she just wanted to chew him out for Unika again—

"I would like to apologize," Harper interrupted his train of thought. She settled in on a low branch and inclined her head to him. "I am sorry for losing my temper earlier."

"_That_ was losing your temper?" he asked before he could stop himself.

She spared him a look. "I pride myself on certain things. Regardless, my opinion remains the same: you are too quick to lose your patience with Unika. As I said before—"

"You're right. Sorry. I'll try harder next time." He did _not_ go out into the spooky forest to get a lecture. Again.

Harper shifted uncomfortably. That was odd. "I... also wished to ask you if you thought there was anything odd about Trainer's behavior recently."

"Uh, no? She's just worried about Lala and Unika, pretty sure," he replied, confused.

"She is distancing herself from me. I am not certain why, but I do not notice the same thing happening with you two. Please, keep watch over her for me."

And with that, it clicked into place for him. He couldn't handle Unika, but he could handle Ree. Harper was the opposite. "I think she's worried she'll hurt Unika's feelings. Again, I mean. If you could keep an eye on her, like you've been doing, I bet it'd help," he told her.

"Of course I will." She seemed to catch on, but still sounded awkward when she asked, "And will you continue to maintain your attentions on Trainer?"

"Of course! I'm the starter, after all!" he said and puffed out his chest.

"Yes, you are," Harper said, amusement in her voice. Just with that, a lot of the tension bled out of the scene. They'd been trying a little too hard covering all their bases, when it was perfectly acceptable to rely on each other to handle certain things. He really ought to figure out the teamwork thing. Maybe they could skip those awkward first steps with the next team member that way.

A human scream rent the night air. It was impossible to tell who was moving first, but Whippy took the lead. They hadn't been far from camp, and they could pick up more noises almost immediately: the crunching of snow, Unika's panicked squealing, and a steady stream of swearing from Ree—that cut off abruptly.

Unika shrieked just as Whippy skidded into the clearing where their camp was. The tynamo, still flashing with static, was being held aloft by a psychic hold. Ree was standing off a little ways, with another, shorter human behind her, one hand fisted in her hair. Something flapped around their heads. He was about to jump at them, but he noticed the glint of a blade at her throat and another pokémon, white and blue and waist-high to them, standing guard between them.

"_These_ are your pokémon?" the other person, male but young, asked with a grin in his voice. "Got any more, pretty girl?"

"Fuck off!" Ree growled back.

"Don't be so mean, I just need a donation or two. Three, looks like. And maybe if you're _especially_ nice I won't make this snow red, 'kay?"

He couldn't attack—not with a knife, not with two pokémon there—but he had to do something. "Don't attack her! She's going to have a baby!"

Whippy had mostly hoped to cause some sort of distraction or maybe give the pokémon second thoughts. He did not expect the white and blue pokémon to turn and punch the boy in the back of the knee with a snarl. The boy crumpled and Ree twisted and leapt at him. She had him pinned to the ground, punching, and Harper pelted at the other flying pokémon above them. Unika was dropped.

"You fucking ass, don't you _dare_ try to steal my pokémon again!" Ree yelled. Whippy jumped to her side, but he didn't particularly want her to stop if she was okay with it. The other pokémon had bent over, crouched onto all fours, and trembled.

"Stop it—ow—please st—"

She was not letting him get in a word edgewise. His hands flailed uselessly, unable to push her off. Whippy was sure there was blood on the snow, so at least he had gotten his wish, but he was a little glad Ree didn't have her bat nearby.

"Bleeding!" the boy choked out. Ree froze. He hadn't been trying to throw her off; his hands clamped down on a cut just over her collarbone.

"Ree!" He glanced over to make sure the knife wasn't near them, and then circled around to her other side. There was a slice right through her coat and part of her neck, blood seeping into her clothing, smeared over his hands and part of her face.

He and his trainer were thrown off by a psychic blast and he crouched over her as soon as he was on his feet again. Harper landed with a heavy thump in front of them, staggered to the side, and Ree dragged her over before she fell over completely. The brunette cast a terrified glance over to where Unika floated.

"Stop it," the boy said thickly, rubbing at the blood on his own face. A woobat flapped down from the dark night and landed on his head. "Ow, holy shit. Get—put the tynamo down." Unika was released and she dropped in the air, but remained hovering over the snow.

"Whippy, can you get her?" Ree whispered.

He nodded, and carefully slithered out a vine to reach over to her. The green was dark against the white all around them, but the thief didn't care. Unika was still a little static-y but he yanked her back to them without incident.

"We have to—I think you broke my nose, wow—we have to get you bandaged up," the boy said and crawled over to his own bag, dropped when he'd fallen. He rummaged around in it and pulled out a roll of gauze and a wad of cotton. Ree stared at him, incredulous. Whippy was going to smack him in his broken nose if he got any closer.

"What the fuck. Don't come near me. Stop!" Ree scooted back but soon found her back against a tree. As the boy approached, Whippy jumped up to defend his trainer, but he was lifted easily into the air and set down by the white and blue pokémon, who hadn't moved. Harper screeched but got similar treatment.

"I think it's shallow, but you should get it covered."

"You were just attacking me!"

"I wasn't _going_ to!"

"You were going to steal my pokémon!"

"I'm sorry."

"You're fucking insane!" she yelled as he finally pinned her arms well enough to start wrapping the bandages haphazardly around her neck. The woobat kept Whippy and Harper pinned in the snow, and it felt like little knives in his belly, but all he could think of was how _terrified_ his trainer looked.

"Do something!" Harper shouted, near panicking as well.

He was about to reply when he realized she hadn't been speaking to him. The white and blue pokémon, still hunched over, ears pinned back against its skull, looked nearly as scared as Ree did. But it wasn't being targeted by the woobat.

"Why are you doing this," Ree shakily demanded.

"I don't want you bleeding to death."

"You just—"

Still straddling her lap, the boy paused in his medical attention to bring his face close to hers. "I hadn't realized how cute you are before. And I'm not going to hurt a girl, even accidentally."

The expression on his trainer's face would have been comedic in other circumstances.

"And there! It should hold for now, but you should probably change the bandages. Eventually. Whenever you're supposed to do that sort of stuff." He leaned back, beaming, and released her arms from where he'd kept them down with his knees. At once, she shoved him off and dove for her pokémon. She huddled over them like a protective mother—and then seemed to realize one of the pokémon under her was not her own.

"Keep your pokémon off of mine. And away." She grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and tossed it at him. He didn't try to catch it.

"I have potions for your pokémon. Your tynamo," he offered.

"You are actually insane."

"And you're surprisingly calm about forced medical attention."

"I'm used to it." Ree glanced around and Whippy knew she was looking for Sophia IV.

"Are you really...?" he asked curiously.

"Really _what_?"

"...Pregnant?"

"Why the fuck does it matter to a poacher—thief—whatever the hell you are?! Just get the fuck away from me and my team before I break your neck next!" she snarled.

The woobat landed on his shoulder and frowned at them. "I'm not a poacher. Maybe a thief, but only a little bit. My name is Tyron," the boy said happily.

"I am giving you to the count of five."

"I'm going, I'm going! I just want to apologize. I don't normally attack girls, and I've never—I didn't know you were pregnant. I'm sorry. And, as an apology, how about a brand new pokémon!" Tyron exclaimed.

Ree and Whippy both gaped at him.

He gestured to the white and blue pokémon, now standing again, at his side. "I was going to sell her in Black City, but I'd rather earn some good karma with the Lord for almost messing up big time. And honestly, your team seems a little unbalanced, especially for this neck of the woods. So you can have her! Free of charge!"

"Why should I take a pokémon from a thief," Ree spat, eyes on the pokémon in question. She remained impassive, not reacting to the discussion they were having about her future.

"I've only had her for a little while, and I caught her in the wild! I'm only an opportunist, nothing hardcore," Tyron said, hands up defensively. "Her pokéball hasn't been registered, but it'll show you that she was a wild catch. She's a strong pokémon, and as you noticed, not exactly my best friend."

"Trainer," Harper started, but Ree squished her against her chest to quiet her.

"What kind of pokémon is she?"

Tyron raised an eyebrow. "A mienfoo. Fighting type. How new _are_ you to training...?"

"Ree, you can't be thinking about this," Whippy hissed at her.

"All of your potions, any blankets you might have, and that pokémon."

"You can't be serious!"

"Alright," the boy said with another bright smile. He held out his backpack. "Her pokéball is in there, bottom right pocket. You can have it all, it's mostly just travel supplies, anyway."

"Trying to freeze to death?" Ree challenged, but nudged her servine until he grabbed it with a vine. It was unexpectedly heavy.

"Worried about me?" Tyron asked, starry-eyed.

She made a disgusted sound. "Get the fuck out of my sight."

"Be careful out here! You don't know what sort of assholes roam around." With a self-depreciating chuckle, he dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a pokéball. He released a golden pokémon with a long mustache and spoons and vanished.

The woods were silent again. Ree waited two heartbeats, eyes on the new pokémon, but nothing happened. Then, she pushed Whippy and Harper off of her, made it a couple of steps, and threw up again. "Fuuuuuuuck. Did we just steal a pokémon?"

"From a thief," Whippy helpfully corrected.

"She was not stolen. The question is what to do with her," Harper said as she hopped over to where Unika floated. "Whippy, please help Trainer find supplies to heal Unika. She does not look severely injured."

"She was knocked unconscious from asphyxiation. There should be no unrelated injuries," the mienfoo said tonelessly, making Whippy jump when she spoke.

Ree swore again at the sound of her voice, too. "You! You... You were his pokémon. Shit. Whippy, harpy, interrogation mode!"

He snapped to attention, but Harper remained by Unika. Ree stumbled over, plopped down behind him, and dug through the backpack. She tossed a potion to Harper, but the tranquill fumbled with it in confusion, until she sprayed Unika herself. The tynamo snapped awake with a squeak. "Stranger! Gold bad purrloin human! Trainertrainertrainer—you're back," Uni said in surprise when she spied Harper and Whippy. "And... Who is that?"

"That is what we're trying to figure out," Harper replied.

"Uni, sweetie, we're going to play a game called taser," Ree said and the tranquill snapped her beak at her for it. "We were just saddled with an unknown agent! How else are we gonna figure shit out?"

"You shouldn't have taken her," Whippy said, tail swishing.

"Do you have a trained name?" Harper asked.

"No," the mienfoo answered, voice still oddly hollow.

"How long were you with the thief boy?"

"A fortnight."

"What's a fortnight?" Whippy asked Ree.

"I'm supposed to be the one asking the questions here!" she retorted. Harper extended a wing towards the mienfoo as an invitation.

"I wanna ask questions! The hero should always be the one to—"

"Hush, Uni. We are making sure if the pokémon is a danger or not."

"I am not a danger to you," the mienfoo said.

"How are we supposed to know that?!" Whippy demanded.

"Why do I bother?" Ree groused. She set her chin in her hand with a huff.

"She did attack her trainer when she learned Trainer was pregnant," Harper said cautiously.

"He was not my trainer."

"Were you stolen?"

"No."

"Then who is your trainer?"

The mienfoo pointed at Ree. Whippy bared his teeth at her and Unika giggled.

"What were your circumstances prior to finding us here tonight?" Harper asked evenly.

"I was captured for a specific purpose. I was to be sold to a trainer within the next few days."

"What was that purpose?"

"To..." For the first time, the mienfoo faltered. She fidgeted, her tail quivering, betraying her nervousness. "There were specific pokémon I have great advantage against. I was used against them."

"You won?" Unika asked in an awed whisper.

"Yes. That is why I was to be sold."

"I like her!" Before Harper could stop her, she zoomed over and snuggled up right against her cheek, to her shock and confusion. "She won! She had a job and she won, so she's almost a hero, too!"

"We win battles all the time!" Harper called, and there was a betrayed tone in her voice that Whippy snorted back a laugh at. She glowered at him. "Unika, get away from the fighter—"

"New teammate, new teammate!" she chanted, ignoring her.

It was made even funnier by the fact that the mienfoo did not know how to handle her. She looked uncomfortable and more than a little dismayed as she stood stock-still while Unika rubbed all against her with excited little squeaks. Her white fur stood on end from the static electricity. He burst out into actual laughter at the image.

"Trainer-trainer, new teammate!" Unika said, hope in her eyes and voice.

"Decided everything for me again?" Ree asked dryly. "Are we keeping her?"

"Yesyesyesyesyes!"

"Glad to know who's in charge."

"Is the tynamo really in charge?" the mienfoo asked in an alarmed whisper. Whippy all but cackled, rolling on his back, and Harper hid her face in her wing.

"I'm going to bed now. With Sophia. If anything _else_ tries to murder me in my sleep, just send the newbie after it. Maybe it means I'll wake up with that much less of a moral quandary." Ree stood, dusting snow off of her pants, and opened her arms for Whippy to jump into them. He did, still snickering, but made sure to keep an eye on the other pokémon as they passed.

He fell asleep with his trainer spooned around him, warm and strangely uncaring about the mienfoo. If Ree wasn't worried, he shouldn't be, either.

He woke the next morning to Ree's swearing. He hated that the panic response took him a couple moments; he was too used to her sudden cursing fits. "Ree, are you—"

"I thought you left!" Ree accused, pointing at the mienfoo. "Shit, did you spend the entire night outside? I thought you'd run! Why the hell didn't you run?"

The fighter was sitting in front of the carcasses of two pokémon, a tranquill and a basculin. Harper narrowed her eyes at the bird's body but didn't say anything.

"You are my trainer. I would not flee from you." She gestured in the smallest possible way to the two dead pokémon. "I have brought you meat. I do not know if you prefer fish or bird or other meat."

Ree rubbed at her temples. Her cheeks and nose were already reddening from exposure to the cool morning air. "Look, the asshole you were with last night? Don't know if he could understand you or not. I sure as shit can't. I'm still working on my pokémon with that—my, uh, other pokémon... Point is, I can't understand you! Nod your head for yes and shake your head for no. Y'know, like people do."

The mienfoo nodded solemnly. In fact, it seemed like she preferred not to speak if at all possible. Ree (miraculously patiently, but he suspected she felt guilty for accidentally leaving the other outside the tent all night) explained that killing wild pokémon of what was currently in their team was against the rules if they could help it, but she appreciated the thought. And, honestly, so did he. It meant he didn't have to venture out in the snow for a little while longer.

While Ree disappeared back into the tent to get dressed, Harper and Whippy watched over the mienfoo with some suspicion. She merely sat perfectly still, eyes closed, as if meditating. Maybe she was. He didn't know much about mienfoo, or fighting pokémon.

"Wanted a fuckin' fire pokémon next..." Ree grumbled as she reemerged, still missing most of her travel gear but significantly more bundled up. The bandage around her neck seemed more innocent in the sunlight. "Okay, so! I, uh, am not actually one hundred percent sure how well this is gonna work out. But the team is already broken as hell, and I'd feel even shittier leaving you out here to fend for yourself, so we'll do a trial run until we get to the next town. Sound good?"

The mienfoo nodded.

Ree ran a hand through her short hair. "Don't know a thing about your species or fighting pokémon, so bear with me if I trip over my own feet. You'll get used to it. Uh, I'm Ree, that's Whippy, that's Harper, and that's Unika. Uni for short. Whippy's my starter, and Unika's the youngest, and I guess you're the newest, for now."

"You are serious about this, Trainer?" Harper asked quietly.

"We needed another teammate. Who am I to complain when one is dropped into our laps? Hey, think we can use Uni as a spark thing to start a fire?"

"We are not trying!"

"I know, I know." Unika hadn't even woken up yet, still snoring softly under Harper's wing. Ree poked at the remains of the fire from last night. "Ugh, need more kindling. Wouldn't even bother if we didn't have to cook..."

The mienfoo wordlessly pointed to a neat stack of twigs and bark pieces on the other side of the corpses.

"You're shitting me."

She shook her head.

"What was that kid keeping you around for? Some sort of butler?"

She shook her head again.

"Uh, well, I dunno then. This is nice and all, but you don't have to do it all the time. If you don't want to. Won't complain if you do. So, you're a girl?"

A nod.

"Of course." Ree twisted so she could dig one of her books out of her bag. Her eyes lingered on the boy's backpack. "You're going to need a name."

Names meant getting attached. Whippy felt vaguely apprehensive. The new pokémon hadn't been exactly hostile to them, and in fact was quite helpful, but she was eerily impassive and he didn't like thieves. It was also one thing to talk about getting a new teammate and actually getting one, doubly so since it was so abruptly. They still had other issues to work out.

Just as he was about to voice those concerns, Ree exclaimed, "Marcella!"

He smacked his leafy tail against his face. Harper glared at him.

But he had to admit, he felt a _little_ better about the situation when he caught sight of the tiny, shy smile on the mienfoo. Marcella nodded.

Grinning, Ree picked up her pokéball and dug out her pokédex to register her officially. "Aaaand, there, mienfoo. Hey, you're supposedly from around here. _Are_ you from around here?"

She shook her head, but after a beat of uncertainty.

"And says here you're... Wait." Ree squinted at the little machine, then to Marcella, and then back to the screen. Curious, Whippy slithered up over her shoulder to look. He couldn't read the text, but the picture next to it was definitely a mienfoo... except for the colors. Whippy joined Ree in looking between the picture of the cream and pink pokémon to the white and blue one in front of them. "Holy fucking hell," Ree breathed.

Marcella fidgeted and shook her head again, without there being a question.

"You _can_ speak, too," Harper reminded pointedly.

"You're shiny?!" Whippy squealed. He'd never seen one up close before. At the lab, the professors had always talked about them, and how everyone liked them.

"I... no," Marcella said quietly, ears pinned back. She cowered under their collective stare.

"Did that little shithead give me a goddamn shiny mienfoo?!" Ree demanded with a cackle.

"No," she repeated, voice even fainter.

"We are _definitely_ keeping you! Maya's going to shit a brick!"

Marcella looked around, distressed, and grabbed Ree's water bottle. She bit the top off while Ree excitedly started dialing on her phone. Whippy tugged on her sleeve as the white pokémon dumped out all of her water over her. She then grabbed a handful of snow, scrubbing at the thick fur on her arm, and by then, Ree's attention was back on her.

The blue melted off into the snow, revealing rosy pink underneath.

"I'm not a special coloration," Marcella said in embarrassment, shivering as the water began to freeze in her fur.

"_I_ want to dye the snow!" Unika shouted, jarring Ree out of her shock. The tynamo attempted to dive into the blue snow, but Marcella caught her out of the air, accidentally leaving blue smears on her. Unika sparked and squeaked in delight and began rubbing herself all over the uncomfortable-looking mienfoo.

Ree groaned and flopped onto the ground in her dismay. Whippy curled sympathetically over her throat, mindful of her bandages. She didn't smell like new blood, at least. They ended up with two half-dyed pokémon, looking like the most bizarre fake camouflage, since she decided it was healthier to avoid taking baths in the cold weather. Unika was more than happy about that. Harper less so, since she was the next target for blue. Once the indignation wore off that she did _not_ have a shiny pokémon, Ree kept herself cheerful by singing some sort of weird song about blueness, and anything that kept her happy kept Whippy happy.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: A new teammate, for better or for worse, even if the rest of the team isn't quite sure what to make of her just yet. Marcella seems straightforward enough, but her circumstances can't be ignored—especially when her past comes back into focus faster than anyone could have anticipated. Ree and her team are suddenly, violently dunked into the dark underbelly of Unovan training. Some things can't just be left behind so easily. At least they have a guide.


	39. Of Being Afraid Of The Dark

The tower shook under their feet, all the warning they got before it started collapsing. Ree nearly jumped at how her controller rumbled. Players started panicking, sprinting for windows rather than exits, trying to cast spells fast enough to ensure survival. There was keymashing over chat and shouting over the mics. The supposedly unbreakable headquarters was falling on top of their heads, and the equally unbreakable windows weren't doing them the courtesy of breaking first to at least let them die with the dignity of fall damage.

Carly cast Angelic Wings next to her and buffed them both as they sprinted. Ree tried thinking of anything in her inventory or skill list to salvage the situation. She was _not_ going to lose another character because of Scott and Carly's dumb plan.

"I still have my octazooka!" Ree crowed in triumph. Carly yelled something she didn't catch, despite their characters' proximity, and they paused near a cracked window long enough for Ree to rummage through her bag. Carly banged at it with her staff until the weapon charged.

Maybe the octazooka had enough kick to it to finish breaking the window, or maybe the jolt the building gave when half the floor below them gave out was enough, but a boom, a crash, and the girls were hurtling out into open space next to the falling tower.

Carly had the grace to catch her character. "Not what I was expecting." Outside, the voices from inside were cut off, leaving them with an eerie silence filling the space where all of the voice channels had been. The game didn't even have enough animations to show what was happening to the tower. It was never supposed to have been damaged, much less blown up.

"I can honestly say that that was _not_ my doing," Ree said smugly.

"I'm just glad our characters are still alive." Carly's character's zangoose ears wiggled when she did a happy emote. Since she was carrying another player, she could only glide with her wings, and she emoted the entire time down. Ree just sat and watched all of the notifications pop up for character deaths in the log. "Holy shit, it got the admins. I counted two of them."

"Three, isn't Lucy one now?" She twisted the camera around and spotted other characters flying or floating or falling out in the distance, and others already on the ground shouting for healing.

"Four, there went nuggetfricker." There were only five admins for the server. As the death toll clicked higher and higher, the girls held their breath, even as the voice chat from the ground started to fade into their channel. The fifth admin's username popped up and disappeared as the list kept going. Carly let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh.

"We didn't quite crash the game, but what _did_ we do?" Ree had to ask.

Carly's character shrugged, and then dropped Ree. She swore as she hit the ground—it took out a clean seventy percent of her health and broke both her legs—but she survived. Other players staggered towards Carly as she daintily alighted, ears still wiggling, her mage robes more obvious than ever.

"Wait, where's Scott?" Ree asked suddenly. As if on cue, her phone rang. She burst out laughing at the timing.

The next day, they made international news. The game, Digi Saga, was a popular one, and the experiment had managed to kill ninety percent of the players, including the admins and all but two of the mods, on the second largest server (which happened to be one from Johto, but it was still technically international news). And it hadn't been Ree's fault. In fact, she had joined the party incredibly late to the game, only just before it blew up in their faces.

"_How_ was buffing a single character up to see how high he'd go a _good_ idea?" Maya asked archly when Ree proudly called her later that evening.

"Wasn't my idea!"

"Someone had that idea first. Someone thought it'd been a good idea, and then Carly and Scottie—how did _Scott_ think that was a good idea?" Thankfully, her sister wasn't on speaker phone. The boyfriend in question was present, seated between Ree's knees, and still incredibly grumpy that his character had been left behind to die.

"Contrary to popular belief, when we play a game, we don't aim to break it."

"We didn't break it," Scott muttered. "And no one expected the counter to roll over."

"Just glad it wasn't _my_ idea for once!" Ree sang.

-.-.-

**Chapter Thirty-Nine**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Being Afraid Of The Dark

-.-.-

Marcella was utterly fascinating to watch. She moved with a controlled grace that none of her other pokémon could come close to. Every movement was precise, but fluid, and the effect was magnified when she battled. Even thrusts of her paws or swift kicks didn't seem jerky.

Whippy's distrust had turned into jealousy when he noticed how enamored Ree was with watching her new (temporary?) pokémon. But he also seemed to gain a grudging respect for her battling skills when they watched her catch fish through the ice with her bare paws.

Then Harper got jealous; Unika was equally taken with Marcella, although that admittedly baffled Ree. She figured it was because she was a strong battler, or perhaps because her fur carried static. But that melted away when Ree found the three of them practicing some sort of exercise together. Marcella moved like water, and Unika approximated her positions in the air, as best she could without limbs. At her insistent squeaking, Harper awkwardly joined in. Not anywhere near as graceful, but that pleased the tynamo further. And a happy Uni meant a better behaved Uni.

Ree would feel bad if she got rid of Marcella, especially after naming her and her albeit hasty exclamation about keeping her after the shiny scare. She _liked_ her. She was calm, collected, creepily helpful, and a strong battler. At least against the wild pokémon, since they hadn't come across another trainer since they had left. (Tyron didn't count.) And, that night, she found out how great it was to have another truly warm-blooded pokémon on the team.

It was a little uncomfortable _ordering_ her to cuddle with them, but she was warm and furry and nearly as big as Whippy. Ree was a very happy middle of the sandwich.

Day two of Marcella's introduction of the team, and Ree decided to try to get them to battle each other. "We need the better practice, and we all know you're the strongest things in this forest. Just practice battles!" she coaxed.

"Viii-_iiiiine_," Whippy whined back, eyes big and tail quivering.

"Don't you want to show your superiority to the newbie?" Ree asked with a grin.

"Quill," Harper sighed.

"Ty-ty-ty!"

Marcella side-eyed them and edged away. "Don't worry," Ree told her, hoping she came across as reassuring, "it's just practice battles. Like play fighting. Pokémon have that, right?"

She nodded but still seemed apprehensive.

Unika was all too excited for the idea, but it seemed a little mean to send her out first, so Ree went with her starter. To her knowledge, neither had an advantage on the other, so it'd be a pretty fair fight. Hypothetically.

Ree called the start and Whippy didn't hesitate before unleashing a gale of leaves at her. Marcella's eyes widened but she seemingly melted out of the way, dodging entirely, and darted towards him. He leapt back, using his vines to push himself further away on his second bounce, and throwing leech seeds at her. Those she didn't duck she just swiped out of the way.

It became very clear early on that Whippy knew exactly how to fight her: he wasn't letting her close. He was faster than her, not counting the maneuverability he had by using his vines, and no matter how cleverly she dodged or twisted, he made sure she couldn't catch up with him. But it was also clear that she was the better technical battler. She knew exactly where the edge of his leaf tornado was, grabbed at his vines with lightning-fast reflexes when he got brave enough to lash out at her with them, and expended the absolute minimum amount of energy.

She may have been able to outlast him, but Ree wasn't going to wait around when he was kicking up snow and ice everywhere. "Okay, okay! Calling it!" Marcella halted at once and thus was unprepared for the chunk of snow he lobbed at her face. She looked sort of cute when she was trying not to look indignant. "Don't you have _any_ long-range moves?" Ree asked with a grimace.

Marcella scuffled her paw in the snow and shook her head. "Foo, mien-mien."

"Tranquill?" Harper asked curiously.

"Foo."

"Translation?" Ree asked Whippy.

"Servine-ser!"

"That didn't help. Okay, we're getting you a TM. I'm not sure I really have anything that would suit you, but we can shop in the next town. _If_ we can come across anyone to battle. Your old trainer didn't have any cash to kindly leave us in his bag."

Marcella's ears twitched back but she caught herself and kept her expression neutral. But Ree saw.

"Not a fan of his, huh?"

After a long pause, she shook her head.

"We have that in common. Whatever I end up doing with you, you won't have to see him again, so don't worry."

"...Mienfoo," she said in a small voice. Her gratitude was clear. It made Ree wonder, not for the first time, what her circumstances had been beyond being used as a battler and painted to be pawned off as shiny.

"Right! Next battle! Harper, you want a go?"

She looked disinclined but hopped off her shoulder and fluttered down to the little space they'd cleared for battling. The fight hardly started before Harper knocked Marcella flat on her ass. Even Harper looked surprised at how well it worked; they didn't battle fighting pokémon often, and with her fast team, they rarely posed a big enough threat that Ree had to consistently rely on her bird.

But Harper had the same range advantage as Whippy, combined with a type advantage, mostly invisible attacks, and a wider area of attack. Ree got the double treat of seeing Harper absolutely _delighted—_followed closely by seeing Marcella truly lose her patience for the first time.

Harper hadn't been doing enough damage to knock Marcella out, or even keep her down, and either the mienfoo really hated losing battles or she hated battling without her foe's full strength. Through sheer force she broke through an air slash in order to get to Harper, taking the attack to her face in the process, and jumped upon the perched bird.

Ree had started forward, but Marcella didn't actually hit Harper. The mienfoo stopped herself just in front of her face. The two pokémon stared at each other for so long a moment that Ree was worried she'd end up with another pair of girlfriends. Whatever their staring contest meant, however, it became irrelevant when Unika flopped in between them with a joyous squeal.

"Servine?" Whippy asked as Ree finally released the breath she'd been holding.

She tossed Marcella's pokéball back into her backpack. "Some new teammate, huh? Hey, Marcy, c'mere."

The mienfoo, ears pricked, slithered out from Unika's affection and reported dutifully. Her face was torn open, from snout to forehead, and she didn't seem to mind the blood at all.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Ree asked, confused and a little worried.

Marcella put a paw to her face like she was surprised to see she was injured. "...Foo."

Whippy smacked her in the shoulder. She hissed at him and rubbed her arm, but didn't attack him back. Ree yanked him back with a scowl regardless. "Rude, mister! Just so long as it's not nerve damage and so long as it doesn't become a habit, we'll deal with it. We have plenty of snow to scrub the blood off."

"Tyyyyyyyy!" Unika wailed from Harper's side.

"You can battle her later! It's not fair to fight an injured opponent!" Ree called back, ignoring how she normally would do just such a thing. Marcella flinched as though struck again. "...Well, we have to teach her somehow. Morals are tough to undo later on in life, I know that one personally."

"Ser!"

Marcella tried covering her face, potentially out of shyness, but Ree really needed her not to poke around her wound. And for her not to do that again. Useful, and it got the job done, but frightening. She was rarely so desperate to win a battle that she'd ask her pokémon to take a point-blank attack of something they were weak against. Elesa didn't count.

Whippy set his clawed hand on hers and she shook herself out of her thoughts. Things could be undone, and she'd just have to adjust to what Marcella threw at her as she went.

-.-.-

Her pokémon stared at her in a textbook illustration of differing levels of alarm when she let out a two and a half minute long "Fuck".

"Tran?" Harper ventured, first.

"We get to deal with a snowstorm. A big one. And we're out in the middle of Fuckall Forest here," Ree explained and pointed to her pokédex. Its internet was shitty on a good day, out on a route, but it made a point to keep its GPS and weather apps connected. A blue swath of snow and ice and cold temperatures was swirling their way, just as happy and fast as could be, and they had a day to figure out what to do. Too far from any cities. Allen was busy, and she wasn't even sure it qualified as an emergency, anyway. The warnings were all for generic blizzard type things, nothing record breaking or particularly terrifying.

But it was still a snowstorm, and they were still out in the middle of nowhere. No fire pokémon, one tent, one small space heater. She would have water with all of the snow, and she had electricity thanks to Unika, but a lot of good the latter did her when she couldn't get service.

"We could find a cave in the hills if need be. Or would it be smarter to start making an igloo now? What is the proper trainer protocol for a shitton of snow?"

Her pokémon were as unhelpful as ever when it came to such things—though Marcella tried, oh did she try. She probably would have begun making building blocks then and there if Ree hadn't interrupted her. She had already sent a text to Maya asking for advice, but got no response. She was tempted to ask Scott, too, but that wound was too raw, even concerning neutral trainer things.

_Neutral, right_. Supposedly neutral. But thinking about pokémon training and then Scott made her mind pit them against each other on reflex.

"I guess we can make a snow fort pretty much wherever, huh?" she asked, rubbing at her hair. It was getting a little shaggy, yet it was also her first winter with such short hair, so she felt weird about it. "Might as well look for a cave. Less digging that way. Harper?"

"Quill!" She flapped into the air, and with a whine from Unika, she gently grabbed her with one foot. They flew up over the treetops and out of sight.

Marcella began packing up their camp without being asked. Ree couldn't help but watch, hands on her hips. "...This is weird, right? We're a weird team?"

"Ser-servine."

"I guess. But that makes you weird, too. Marcella, you _know_ you don't have to do everything yourself, right?"

She nodded and carefully wrapped the heater's cord around its little legs.

"Where does a mienfoo even learn stuff about power cords and packing up camp and whatever?" Ree said and sighed. She nudged Whippy with her boot until he moved, and the three of them managed to consolidate the camp enough so it fit back into their backpacks. Marcella unassumingly grabbed Tyron's backpack, which led to another awkward realization—Ree was far from being above asking her pokémon to help her carry things, and she knew she had plenty to carry, but she had reservations about letting Marcella near any lingering remnants of Tyron. She had a feeling their shared history was just simply 'bad' and she didn't want to make it worse before she could figure things out.

But the only other thing she could carry was Ree's own backpack, which was larger and heavier. Marcella must have noticed her indecision, because she shrugged off the plain black bag and held out her paws for the offensively orange and pink one.

"This one's almost as big as you are. And you shouldn't be carrying that much stuff."

Marcella pointed at Whippy. Ree shrugged, not getting it. The mienfoo put her paws over her stomach, imitating a swollen stomach.

"I am _not_ so pregnant that I can't carry things. Exercise is good for pregnant people! Especially if they were active before, and I was, and I know this is legit because Lenore told me so."

Marcella sighed and Whippy grinned up at Ree. Before she could question either of them, he jumped at her, and then slithered into her coat. She reflexively curled her arms underneath him to support his weight—right over her middle.

"...He's a balance. That's why I should have the bigger backpack, to counter his fat ass."

"Vine!" he cried.

"You _are_ getting bigger, and you know it, mister."

He responded by jabbing her in the stomach.

"One day, that thing is going to kick back, you know." She could only imagine his alarm the first time. It would be a glorious moment.

While she was distracted by the servine baby in her coat, Marcella walked over, widened her stance, and then picked them both up without so much as a grunt of effort. Ree shrieked and Whippy clung to her, claws dug in, at the sudden shift in balance. "Mien," Marcella said simply and set them back down.

"Right, heavier backpack for you."

It being larger swamped her form, but she wasn't bothered by the size or the weight, so what argument could Ree make? And could she really complain about carrying less on her back? Marcella looked delightfully silly, her back would hurt a little less, and she kept her new teammate separate from the little brat who gave her up.

"Tran-quiiiiill!" came Harper's call just before she broke through the branches overhead.

"Tyyyyyy-na-mo!" Unika mimicked as she wriggled out to hover before them. "Ty! Tyna!"

"Did you find anything? Preferably something _not_ super huge so we don't have to worry about heating a huge-ass cavern?"

They exchanged a guilty look.

"Also, I'm more fond of the igloo idea since we can drill holes for ventilation. Or something. I don't want to get stuck in a cave and worry about smoke. Is this place up against some sort of cliff wall we could use?"

Harper shook her head.

"Well, thank you for trying. I guess we should just look for a place to dig in for the next couple days. Uh, shit, how long was this thing supposed to last..." Food, she should have remembered food earlier. Water wasn't an issue, and she had some things in her bags, but she had the need for quite a lot of protein with Whippy and Marcella on her team. And hunting would keep them busy.

Except she was hoping to use Marcella to build their fort. Whippy was also going to stick close to her with the weather like that. Harper was a decent enough hunter, though she must have been out of practice, and she also had to think of Unika. The tynamo couldn't really build, she wasn't fast or big or strong enough to hunt, and she had to be entertained _somehow_...

"Marcella, Harper, Uni, you're on hunting duty. Uni, stick close to Harper. Make it fast, be back before sundown. Whippy, you and I are on homesteading or whatever shit that was duty. We gotta find a place to dig in. If it's near a big tree, we can use that..."

He stuck his head out of her coat to be a second set of eyes, and her other three pokémon went off in search of food. She was surprised they moved as one team—she was certain Marcella would function better on her own—but she was sure they'd come back with something anyway.

The logistics of it all gave her a headache. Was she over thinking? Was she coming up with bullshit? Why was she so nervous around Marcella when she seemed so straightforward?

She lost more sunlight than she liked trying to find a spot to camp, but she did like where they ended up: they found possibly the largest tree in the forest, with a dip in the snow around its trunk from the branches above. Whippy began stomping down their new floor while Ree started piling onto their walls. It took a couple false starts—she wasn't sure how big to make it, and four pokémon and a person maybe trapped inside a small space for a day or two made her err on the side of caution—but she soon got a semicircle around the tree going.

The wind picked up near sundown, just before the hunter trio returned. Harper was holding a semi-fried basculin by the tail, followed by a beaming Unika, and they were both followed by Marcella, dragging an entire sawsbuck by its hind leg. The trail of blood they left was already starting to get covered as snowflakes returned with the wind.

"How the hell are we going to eat all that? How are we going to _cook_—actually no, I don't care, nevermind." She'd figure something out. They could just freeze things. Winter was her own personal, huge refrigerator.

With Unika helping generate light and Marcella helping build up the walls, they were soon out of the growing wind. There was a moment of confusion when Ree explained that they had to build a roof, too, to keep it all from falling on top of their tent and squishing them, and then she had to take turns with Whippy to lift Marcella high enough to reach. They paused to start a fire as their useable light rapidly dwindled, and Ree made absolutely sure to poke holes for ventilation (and explain to her team not to fill them in, even if they may cause a bit of a draft).

She felt absurdly proud of her misshapen, cramped snow fort when they were done.

She had thought out air holes, enough room for their tent plus a 'yard', and had plans to try to make an outhouse. It was like playing house except on a larger scale and with number fingers. They did have to widen their main overhead hole to let out some of the smoke once the fire grew, but other than that snag, it went surprisingly well.

She set Whippy and Marcella to digging a small tunnel to what would become their bathroom while she and the other two began making their dinner. The fish would be that night's, and the sawsbuck would freeze overnight, and she did have the issue of having to dig it back out, but that could be fixed tomorrow. Maybe the blizzard wouldn't even be that bad and they had wasted the day building their fort. But even that wouldn't have ruined it.

She tried taking pictures with her phone, but the lighting was terrible, and she didn't have service, anyway. "Oh well. No ice queen selfies."

"Tyna?"

"None for you especially. You blend in with all of this white."

"Mo!"

"Even with the fire. It just casts weird shadows and I think we'll soon get a layer of ice as the fire melts stuff and the snow re-freezes it. I think that's what's supposed to happen? It'll be like our own skeleton!"

For some reason, that made Unika cry, and Ree and Harper panicked over calming her back down. Food did the trick. She ate more than her share of the fish, but it was worth it. She did not want to be locked into a pile of snow with any unnecessary drama or anguish.

Whippy and Marcella returned just as the fish and soup finished. The servine clambered into her lap, forty pounds of cold scales, and made grabby hands, while Marcella neatly knelt beside Harper. "You _sure_ you were a wild pokémon before that Tyron ass? You have pretty good table manners."

She shook her head in the tiniest possible movement.

"The newly caught fighting pokémon," Ree said with a sigh, and then looked down at her starter in her lap, "and the human-raised grass pokémon famous for their superiority and snootiness. You can only feel better than everyone else if you _are_ better than everyone else. You eat about as cleanly as Unika."

Whippy and Unika looked up at her with matching kicked lillipup expressions. Both of them had food smeared over half of their faces.

"Right. Good job, team. Good fuckin' job."

It took a little coaxing to get Uni to wear the harness long enough to make sure their heater had power throughout the night, but at least then they could put the fire out, and she went along with it when Ree showed her they could make shadows on the wall with their flashlight. She took her medicine with less argument than usual as well.

They could hear the wind growing into a howl outside, and occasional snowflakes made it in through their air holes, but it stayed warm inside their bubble. They were insulated from the outside world.

Whippy could make an array of shadows with his vines, and Harper tried exactly once but she could really only make a wing. Marcella wouldn't try. Unika was happier watching, and that left the bulk of the entertainment to Ree. It was a fair trade-off for better behavior.

They called it an early night. Ree snuggled in between Whippy and Marcella, Harper and Unika perched close by, and let the heater be their light. It reflected dimly off of the snow around them, giving it all a warm, soothing glow. Cozy. Faintly homey. Safe and warm.

-.-.-

Ree awoke in the middle of the night to find a monster silhouetted in the broken wall of their camp. The cold wind blasted into their space, stealing their heat and waking the rest of her team.

"What the fu—"

A harsh, metallic screech cut her off. Ree clamped her hands over her ears and curled down over Whippy. Marcella launched herself over them both, at the dark shape.

And, shockingly, knocked it flat with a single hit.

She grabbed the unconscious creature by the ankle, flung it out into the stormy night, and then wandered back inside to start building the wall back up.

"Ty?" Unika squeaked sleepily and shivered.

"...What the hell was that," Ree said flatly.

Marcella didn't answer and continued filling in the hole. Whippy pulled the blanket over he and Ree both. Unika darted in with a happy sound. "Quill?" Harper asked archly, eyes on the mienfoo.

She flicked her ears back but still remained silent.

"That was a pokémon, right? Please tell me that was a pokémon and not some sort of nightmare monster." It sure had seemed like a nightmare monster; all Ree could remember about it was the red glint of blades sticking out of it.

"Ser-ser!"

"Tran_quill_."

"...foo," she finally replied. Most of the wall had been patched up, if not smoothly or evenly, and she sank down to her knees without anything else to busy herself with. "Mien, mien-mienfoo-mien. Mienfoo... mienfoo."

"I need to win the goddamned lottery and buy translators for you all." Ree rubbed at her temples and struggled not to lose her temper. It really wouldn't help the situation and even she could recognize that fact. "That was important, right? Marcella, you _knew_ what that was."

The mienfoo nodded.

"Was that a pokémon?" she asked, just to be sure.

Another nod. Despite her harsh awakening, she felt relief that it wasn't a nightmare all the same.

"Was that one of Tyron's?"

She shook her head and with that movement, there was the slightest hunch to her shoulders.

"Tranquill tranquill, tran?" Harper asked. Marcella glanced at her and nodded.

"Did that pokémon belong to anyone else I should be worried about?"

She shook her head again.

So a wild pokémon had attacked them, in the middle of the night, in a snowstorm. Admittedly, she would have expected a yeti or something first, but a small, sharp pokémon worked just as well for heart attacks. "Is that thing going to be a problem again?"

To her great distress, Marcella nodded again, her misery clear in her frame.

Ree groaned and tugged at her hair. "This is why the little shit was trying to sell you, huh? Dump some sort of revenge scheme on the next poor sap he ran into?"

Marcella nodded, although uncertainly.

"If I ever see him again..." Whippy placed his claws on her hand, patting it, humming soothingly. "Fine. Marcy, looks like you didn't have much of an issue with that thing. Can you keep it off us until I figure out what the hell it is and how we can get rid of it?"

She nodded, sure once more. It helped improve Ree's mood the smallest fraction.

"Alright, back to sleep everyone."

It was a tense night and none of them got much sleep after that. Day two of their storm was spent largely by being bored out of their minds. There were some smaller repairs to make to the wall, Ree tried to see what the conditions were like outside (only to end up with her eyelashes frosted over), and she found out what it was like to have an electric pokémon with cabin fever. The good news was that she had enough energy to keep everything charged. The bad news was that they all had to dodge the _rest_ of her electricity.

She tried to keep busy by digging another tunnel to drag the mostly frozen sawsbuck into, but that hassle was more aggravating than anything else, so she let the pokémon wrestle with it. She tried to spend some time organizing photos on her phone, but that led to looking at far too many pictures of Scott, and that in turn led to tears.

She attempted to teach them a couple card games, showed Marcella how to dial on her phone in an emergency, played a sort of guessing game with Whippy concerning the few herbs and spices she had, and learned that Unika had a talent for keeping a rhythm. Ree wasn't the best beatboxer in the world, but it made things more entertaining when she had a glowing metronome. Maybe she could teach Harper to whistle in time and take her show on the road, after the whole pregnancy thing sorted itself out. Or maybe she could go while still pregnant; she was not above utilizing gimmicks.

But mostly, they were bored. They had room to stretch and the pokémon could walk a little comfortably, but that was it. If they had to spend another day in there, Ree knew she had to make the ceiling higher, or else she'd snap.

Marcella's facial wound was shallow and healing well, but there was some minor swelling. It was a good thing they had plenty of ice. Even playing doctor, however, didn't take up much time or energy. She was a pokémon; she would heal from most things that didn't outright kill or dismember her. At least, that was how it seemed when Harper was flying on a broken wing and Whippy had been battling with broken ribs.

Night two of snowy hell gave Ree a name to work with.

She had been dreaming—very nicely about Scott and how he could spoil her with his tongue—and it all went straight to black around her. Ree plopped onto her ass as her dreamscape vanished, her hair still long, ladybits still un-pregnant, and very much annoyed at the change in mood.

Her mood plummeted further when the black and red pokémon walked up to her.

"Okay, what the fuck," Ree snarled, twisting to cover herself while wishing she had been dreaming about when she'd had longer nails or something. Or maybe she should have dreamed about being a trainer. A heatmor would've made a nice addition.

"_You. Are. Not. Blood. Hu. Man._" The pokémon sat down opposite her, mimicking her pose, arms ending in blades covering its metal-cased chest like the most absurd Venus ever.

"You can talk now?"

"_This. Is. Dream._" Its voice seemed to go straight into her brain, but it still sounded harsh and grating.

"I know you can't be a psychic pokémon. Not with how Marcella shut you down last night." And she was pretty sure fighters couldn't punch ghosts in the face.

"_I. Am. Of. Dark. Ness._"

"And you're not the best speaker in the world, either." The pokémon didn't react, not even in annoyance. Although she supposed even that was better than what she got from Unika. "So, what's the deal? What problem do you have with my pokémon?"

"_Yours?_"

"Yes, _mine_. The short kid with the people skills gave her to me."

The pokémon looked down at its pointed limbs. "_I. Still. Need. Her._"

"What for?"

"_Re. Venge._"

"Of course. Why can't you get it on the asshole kid?"

"_I. Will._"

"Instead of my pokémon."

"_On. Both. I. Found. You. First._"

"What did they do to you that you tracked her however far to try to get your revenge? And what _are_ you? You don't seem like a tracker."

"_Or. Or. In._"

"...Right. I meant the type of pokémon."

"_I. Am. Noth. Ing._" Ororin's voice broke and its bladed arms trembled. "_With. Out. My. Lead. Er._"

Ree had a sinking feeling about where the conversation was headed. "You... lost your leader?" Sure, the blond boy had attacked her with a hunting knife, but she hadn't pegged the kid as a murderer. Then again, what would happen to a trainer who wouldn't give up their pokémon, who hadn't gotten on Marcella's good side, and who wasn't a cute girl?

"_The. Blood. Hu. Man. He. Spilt. Our. Blood._"

"Look, I really do understand revenge schemes. But as things are right now, I'm a neutral party. I have no idea what happened to you—and I'm sorry about that, I am—but Marcella is part of my team now. And I'm pretty sure I trust her. Whatever she helped with, it was on the asshole's orders. I'll vouch for her." She had grown attached, and she didn't see a cruel hair on Marcella's head. She was perfectly willing to throw the thief under the bus on this one.

"_You. Do. Not. Mat. Er._"

"I do too matter. The mienfoo is mine now." She couldn't offer to pay the pokémon, and she didn't necessarily want to offer to become its new trainer with how their introduction was going so far. She may have been hormonally unbalanced and prone to terrible decisions, but what sort of idiot added a pokémon that vowed bloody revenge to their team? What else could she offer? She didn't know where Tyron was, and she didn't want to help the pokémon find him, either.

"_I. Will. Not. Harm._" The pokémon bowed its head and paused, as if in reverence. Strange. "_You. Or. Your. Clan. Mates._"

Better than calling her pokémon her children, she supposed. "Uh, well, thanks for that."

"_Give. Me. The. Fight. Er._"

"That's a no. Didn't you hear anything I just said?"

"_I. Will. Not. Warn. You. A. Gain._"

"This entire conversation is getting annoying. Look, I'm sorry that you've been through some shit. I understand that and if I could help, I would." Could she offer to drop it off at a pokémon center or adoption center? Friends or family of its trainer? "But I'm not giving you _my pokémon_, and I can't help you find the dude responsible. And I think Marcella's demonstrated that she's not about to stand for your shit, either, so I'm not really sure where you get off acting so threatening."

The pokémon looked up at her with a hard, unforgiving expression. Its pupils were black slits against the gold sclera.

Ree was forced back into consciousness by a sharp, cold pain.

The pokémon was above her, straddling her throat, its blade at her cheek. It had sliced open her cheek and the edge of her ear. Her blood felt hot against the chill of the air.

They stared at one another for a long moment, and then her pokémon caught onto the situation. Whippy yanked it away with his vines, but the pokémon twisted in the air and sliced free. Her servine shrieked and retracted them immediately. Harper didn't have enough room to fly, but she flapped her wings, sending bits of snow and ice at them, keeping Unika behind her. The metallic pokémon hardly seemed to notice.

Marcella, however, could not be ignored. And in close quarters, she excelled.

But the pokémon was made of sharpness and points. She leapt at it, and it ducked away, trying to catch her with any of its limbs. Ree scrambled away from them, huddling in the corner with Whippy, who was crying softly over his vines, his shoulders and belly covered in greenish-brown blood. Harper and Unika were in the corner opposite to them. Unika was glowing, bright in the darkness of the night, though Harper's form threw shadows over the fight between them.

Whippy and Harper were useless against a steel pokémon. Unika was small and weaker. But Marcella couldn't get a clean hit in when they were so close to one another; she'd end up slicing herself open at the rate she was going, just like before, with Harper. Except a metal razor would hurt far more than air, no matter how typing weaknesses worked.

Ree pulled on her winter boots and then kicked her foot out. She caught Ororin in the side, surprising it, and knocking it off balance enough for Marcella to deliver a punishing blow against the side of its helmet-like head. The red metal dented.

And then, when her arms were extended, it thrust the blade on its head at her.

Marcella reeled back, so close to getting her face cut open again that for a moment, Ree was certain she _had_. But she stumbled backwards, no fresh blood on her, and glanced back when her back hit the partially broken snow wall.

Ororin saw its opportunity. It sank both of its arm blades into her stomach.

Ree shouted and kicked again. Whippy threw himself at the pokémon, but Ororin ducked under him and opened a cut along his flank. It then darted towards Ree, jumping over another kick, and they found themselves face-to-face again.

She wished she had some sort of remark, but instead, she could just think of her two bleeding pokémon and the knifey thing probably about to kill her. God, she hoped Harper and Unika wouldn't swear revenge on that thing and end up killing themselves.

Ree wished she was wearing more layers when she tried to elbow it off of her. The pokémon was lighter than Whippy, but her forearm caught one of the edges jutting out of its stomach—seriously, was the beast literally _made_ of knives? It staggered off of her and she threw herself to the side, aiming towards Whippy. The pokémon stomped down on her back, cutting off her lunge, and walked up along her spine towards her outstretched hands. She could almost grab his leafy tail. Whippy raised his head, scarlet eyes shining with tears and terror, and Harper screeched. The following gust blew uselessly over Ree's back and against the steel pokémon.

"Paaa-aaaaa-aaawn," Ororin rasped, waking life voice just as grating and rusty as it had been in the dream, and Marcella got up to her feet again. Everything beneath her midsection was coated in blood and snow stuck to the warm liquid.

"S-Servine!" Whippy yelled. Ree felt cold blades leave the side of her neck.

And then they plunged down into her outstretched hands.

She didn't make a sound, honestly too numbed by shock to register the view in front of her. Two bladed arms stuck out of her hands. It was only when Ororin transferred them both to one of its own, pinning both of her hands with the same point, that her body was like _oh yeah_.

Marcella lunged at him with a snarl Ree never would have expected out of her. Ororin met her movement by raising his other arm and she landed right on it.

The steel pokémon ripped its hand out of Ree's, eliciting her first scream, and literally dug into Marcella. Ree wasn't sure whether it was the pain or the mounting hysteria that kept her screaming, but despite the blood and the feeling of bones shifting where they shouldn't be, she crawled forward and reached out for Ororin's back.

There was a flash of light and the entire snow fort crumpled down on their heads. Ree's scream ended on a high note. There wasn't enough weight to hurt, but it was surprising, and the cold burned her bare skin. She only had her pajamas and boots on, and that meant bare arms and snow freezing to the hot blood on her hands and face.

Something feathered and warm dug through to her first, and she helped Harper kick and thrash their way to the surface of the snow with the help of Unika's soft glow. "Tranquill, tranquill, tranquill," Harper repeated, trying to hold her trainer still with her large wings, head craning to get a look at her, but Ree was looking for her other pokémon. As it turned out, they were hard to miss.

A serperior towered over them, the steel pokémon clenched in his jaws. The edges on the pokémon were cutting into his mouth, blood running freely down his neck, but Whippy kept him immobilized and away from them. Ororin couldn't reach any part of him, not well enough to do any further damage.

Marcella lay half underneath a pile of snow near his tail, a red and cream spot against all of the white.

Whippy shook the pokémon in his mouth like a rabid herdier would. The metal screeched when it bent and clashed with his teeth, but it was not going to break. He coiled, trying one last time to crunch it, but to no avail. With all the muscle in his much longer body, he twisted and threw the pokémon as far as he could.

The wind whistled around them as they sat in the snow.

Ree looked at Marcella, and then down at her hands. The coldness was beginning to seep in, and combined with the pain, she could hardly move them.

Harper hopped over the snow and crouched down by the mienfoo. "Quill!"

"She's breathing?"

"Quill!"

She couldn't get service on her phone, not with the weather as it was. Whippy—he evolved, that still had to process with her—was fine, but she and Marcella were far from it. She couldn't lose a pokémon she _just_ got. She couldn't lose another one, period.

"Harper," Ree croaked. Her tranquill looked up but didn't move from Marcella's side. "I need you to take my phone and—and remember how I showed you how to call Allen? The first number in my list? It's two buttons. I-I need you to fly until you hear my phone beep for service. Once you do that, call him and just squawk at him until he comes."

Harper's expression broke, but she covered it up so fast Ree questioned it at all. "...Tran." The bird flapped into the air and extended a foot for Ree's phone. She handed it to her, and she disappeared into the bare branches overhead.

Whippy slithered over to her. His bulk blocked a significant portion of the wind from her, but when she reached out to touch his scales, she noticed at once how cold he already was. "Fuck. F-Fuck this entire night. C'mere, curl up next to us. Let's g-get out of this wind a bit..." She crawled over and scooped Marcella up as best she could, trying to be gentle, and they all curled up in the hollow beneath the tree where their things lay beneath the snow. Unika nuzzled into the crook of her neck, a small warm spot.

It was difficult to tell how long Harper had been gone. The darkness and the cold seemed to slow down time, and without her phone, her sense of it was already warped. She did dig out her coat and one of her blankets from beneath them and laid both of them over Whippy, but with how cold they'd been, she wasn't sure how much good they'd do. Her feet were mercifully fine in her boots, and she had fleece pajama pants on, but her hands were entirely numb and her face burned from the temperature.

It had been a very dumb idea to send Harper out. She was warm-blooded, but far from suited to the snow. She was probably slowly succumbing to hypothermia while she worried.

"What else c-could I do?" Ree whispered. Her tears were warm, briefly, on her cheeks, but they soon got cold, too. She didn't have phone service. Marcella couldn't wait. At the very least, they would have had to have tried to rebuild a bigger snow fort in the blackness of the night in a blizzard. She couldn't move her hands. Was Marcella bleeding out? Was Ororin on its way back to them? Whippy was bigger and stronger, but she didn't want to see how they'd fare in another battle.

The only consolation was that Unika could keep up a mostly steady glow. In pitch black, she was sure she wouldn't have been able to last.

The figure was almost upon them before her numbed ears picked up the sounds of approach. Whippy startled, reaction time frighteningly slowed, and Unika floated up to their sad defense with a squeal.

Harper flapped down from the man's shoulder and embraced the tynamo and her trainer in one movement. "Tr-Tranquill, tran...!"

"R-Ree, what happened here?!" Allen demanded shakily. Ree had never been so glad to see him before, and that was an achievement.

"H-Ho-Hospital," she croaked out between chattering teeth and held up Marcella's limp body.

"Everyone, grab onto—wow, Whippy, huh? Ree, make sure everyone's holding on."

She smushed them all together between her arms. Unika wriggled but Harper helped keep her still until, with a rush of dizziness, they were all in the middle of a too-hot, too-bright hospital. Whippy uncurled with a grateful hiss, Ree slid down off of him with a curse at the lights, and Allen cursed himself when he saw the blood smear she and Marcella left on his scales.

"Story time later, Ma-Marcella needs help r-right away!" Ree groaned, feeling and heat returning painfully to her ears and face.

The mienfoo was taken by the first nurse and in the light, she did not look good. She was actually _open_, and Ree could very clearly see organs she never wanted to see. She turned and tried to find a trash can to throw up in, and barely got one before her stomach came back up. Nose running, tears back in full force, and shaking uncontrollably as she clung to the trash can, it all piled onto her at once. Marcella could die. She could lose another pokémon. She still could not feel her fingers or her shoulders. Tyron had dumped a homicidal pokémon on her.

"Oh my god, Ree, what happened to you?!" Allen was at her side in an instant, evidently having seen her hands for the first time. Maybe he had thought all of the blood had been her pokémon's.

And she took stock of him for the first time, too. He wasn't in uniform—he was barely dressed. He was unshaven, his hair was a mess, all he had on was pajama pants and an unzipped parka, and he had blood running down his face. "Y-Yo-_You're_ bleeding!"

Tranjero screeched and the sound reminded her too much of Ororin. She jumped and lashed on out reflex. Just as instinctively, Allen caught her arm. "Don't you mind me—"

"You look like sh-shit!"

"Ree, your hands are cut open! What the hell happened?!"

She broke down into sobbing at that.

-.-.-

Ree read over the report. Whippy was totally fine once he warmed up. Evolution could fix a lot of things, including minor to moderate injuries. Harper and Unika were in the same boat, sans gaining a hundred pounds. Marcella was alive, and she would live.

"...and she'll have to be on a liquid diet for the next month, perhaps more. We'll know more once we see how she's healing up," the doctor summarized.

They had called it elegant and purposeful. For something—a pawniard—to hack away at a pokémon like that, it knew what it had been going after. The damage done to her intestinal tract and kidneys had been incidental; the goal had clearly been her uterus. She'd never have babies. It would be awhile before she could eat normally again.

"We could induce evolution, but with this level of trauma, it's difficult to tell how her body would adjust. It obviously cannot regrow organs. We'd like to see how her body naturally heals before we would advise that." Not to mention the expense. She knew she didn't have that sort of money.

Ree looked at her bandaged hands. It looked like she was wearing mittens. _Why attack her reproductive organs? It said it had lost a leader, its trainer, not any children._ It was such a pointed attack, yet it didn't make sense. _...Does this mean its revenge has been taken?_

Ree herself had minor frostbite on top of the injuries to her hands and face. Scars were inevitable, but the doctors seemed hopeful that her hands would make a full recovery. She hadn't even thought about losing motor functions. Ororin could have started slicing off fingers. It probably could have hacked away at Marcella's arms or legs. Hell, once it had her down, it could've outright killed her. She didn't have tough scales like Whippy.

"We've got to stop meeting like this," Allen told her with half a grin, but she wasn't in the mood to joke.

"I want information on a black market poacher, or thief, or something."

"I've told you before, I can't just give out information like that. Especially to non-operatives. You know too much as it is. Please, just tell me the name and I'll take care of it for you."

She stayed petulantly silent for the rest of his visit. He didn't deserve that—boy, he was the last person to deserve her ire—but he was convenient. Lenore, once she got there, made sure the baby was okay and expressed her general worry. Maya couldn't get a break from her training, and Ree made sure her parents didn't find out. She and Scott were still on break. The usual.

She already had Antoine Pollock to track down, but if she ever saw the Tyron kid again, she would beat his face in, psychic pokémon be damned.

Three days later and she and Marcella were released from Lentimas General Hospital. Allen had scavenged most of their things from the campsite, including Sophia IV, who had gotten nicked at some point during the flailing with the pawniard. He escorted her out, trying to keep up smiles on her behalf, but he still looked rough. And he wouldn't open up to her about it.

"You going back to wherever you were?" she asked him at the hospital doors.

"Yeah, back to Opelucid. Couple more things with Tranjero before I'm back to full active duty," he replied with a shrug.

"...Did you play hooky to get me again?"

"Uh, legally not, since you're still my charge and all."

"Are you two alright?"

"We will be. I just really gotta get back soon." She knew he had already been teleporting back and forth for the past two days. She'd caught him earlier that morning with another nosebleed in her bathroom. But if he wasn't going to talk to her, then she was going to stay stubborn, too.

He hugged her, too carefully, and she was left alone with her team again. A little more paperwork, some rearranging of her backpacks, and she walked out into the snowy morning of Lentimas Town.

Someone collided with her and all she could see was a mop of spiky, golden hair at first. "Oh Lord Arceus above, you worried me!" Ree stiffened at the male voice.

Tyron looked up at her, arms still wrapped firmly around her, his silver eyes shining with tears.

"You—fucking—"

"I thought he'd go after _me_, not you!" Tyron exclaimed and buried his face into her shoulder. She could actually hear him crying. His smaller frame trembled against her stock still one. Could she reach for her pokémon, or should she just grab the bat hanging from her backpack? "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, sorry-sorry-sorry!"

"You. You knew about it. You _knew_," Ree ground out.

"I thought he'd come after me. I'm so sorry, I never wanted you hurt, I just wanted you—and the mienfoo—out of his path..."

"Get the fuck off of me."

Tyron released her with tears and snot still dripping down his face.

Ree held up her bandage mittens. "That pokémon you got following you? Let it fucking _get you_ next time."

"I thought he would," he whispered, stricken.

And the ass legitimately sounded and looked remorseful.

As much as Ree wanted to get another charge of assault under her belt, right there in front of the hospital, the pokémon thief earned his temporary safety when he asked, "How can I make this up to you? Anything!"

She paused, thinking. "First, tell me how the fuck you knew this happened at all."

"I have connections. I wanted to make sure you'd be okay."

"...Let me use those connections."

"Anything."

"Antoine Pollock." And, after a moment, she added, "And tell me what went on with you, my mienfoo, and that metal pokémon."

The shorter boy fidgeted under her glower. "That's... a lot of information for a regular trainer. Are you sure you want to know all of that? It can get you into some trouble."

She held up her mittens again. "My pokémon is on a liquid diet and will be limping until she evolves."

He looked around. The town was small, and quiet, and especially so in the cold morning air. But he told her, "Fine. For you. But we're going to want to have this conversation elsewhere."

And so Ree followed the thief down into hell.

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Ree's committed to keeping Marcella, Ororin and Tyron be damned, but they aren't making it easy. She gets the answers she wants, however. Maybe Tyron was right about biting off more than she could chew. Her team has to adjust, yet again - to Whippy's new size and strength, to Marcella injured, and to Harper, who believes she has a lot to make up for. Unika's just happy to be there with everyone still in one piece.


	40. Of Bad Places To Stay

"If you could have any superpower," Scott said, "what would you choose and why?"

"You know, my knee-jerk reaction is fucking _flying_, of all things," Ree answered with a shudder. "And I tell myself, 'you're afraid of heights_ and_ flying, dumbass', and I just don't listen. I still think it'd be cool."

"Maybe if you did it enough and knew you could catch yourself you'd like it?"

"Ehh, probably not. But I'd piss myself at thirty thousand feet or whatever cruising altitude is. That'd be a sorry surprise for someone."

"Great mental image. What would Ree's _conscious_ mind say would be your superpower of choice?" Scott tried again, leaning over to set his chin in his hands on the railing.

Ree leaned backward, eyes on his ass. "X-ray vision?"

"Very funny."

"While I think, what's _your_ answer, huh? You had to have an idea if you asked it," she replied and mirrored his position, looking out at the sunset. Sunsets always made him thoughtful and dramatic.

"I saw a post on the internet—get this: probability manipulation."

"What the fuck?" Ree had to ask. It sounded too technical.

But he was shaking his head. He pulled his ponytail over one shoulder, switched his weight to one elbow, and told her, "Think about it. I suddenly make it so there's a hundred percent probability of me finding a ton of money on the ground. Or it's a snow day. Or, if you want to get _really_ exciting, that I learn to fly or something. Actually, not sure how well that'd work, but at the very least, I could jump off cliffs and _not_ die!"

"Should I be worried?" Ree asked, eying the two story drop behind the railing.

Scott blew a raspberry and she had to return one. "My superpower is cool and you're jealous."

"There'd have to be some drawbacks to it. There are drawbacks to all superpowers. Like how you'd be blind if you're actually invisible," she pointed out.

"Not if you're doing it by refracting light around you."

"Light still has to get into your eyes in order to see."

"Oh, well... Mine doesn't have to do that. Besides, dumb wishes made during sunsets don't have to have drawbacks. They're hypothetical and romantic. Like right now, I'm going to make it a hundred percent probability that I get a kiss."

Ree couldn't help but break into a grin. "You cheesy fucker. Were you planning that line from the beginning?"

"No, which should get me brownie points," Scott replied with a matching grin. All of the red and orange light made his freckles almost disappear. So Ree leaned over and pressed her lips to his cheek, where there had to have some probability of having freckles. "Not cool."

"You always get dumb around sunsets," she replied and shrugged. "Maybe you'll get another kiss if you tell me why."

"We met at a sunset—?"

"No, we met in school and then at a party."

"Then it's secretly my fantasy to ride off into the sunset with you. Rocio can totally be our steed!"

"I am _not_ riding on your scolipede, dude," Ree said flatly. But the idea was stupidly charming. Giant bugs aside.

"Vince would be a harder steed," Scott reminded her and nudged her shoulder with his. She shoved him back. "When are you going to get some pokémon, huh? You could get a steed for us instead."

"Pokémon are overrated. I'd rather have the superpower," she replied and returned her attention to the sunset. It _was_ pretty. Just overrated, too.

-.-.-

**Chapter Forty**: Ree Majors' Wonderful Journey Of Bad Places To Stay

-.-.-

"You know, have to admit, I hadn't expected the black market to be an _actual_ marketplace," Ree remarked as they meandered through various paths and stalls. It was all indoor, but the overall feeling remained. It had started out feeling like a spy movie—Tyron had bought her a new winter coat and hat, he gave her a cute (if slimy) pokémon called an sliggoo to pretend to be hers, and had tried to teach her to say a few things with a kalosian accent. They had a fake name for her and everything. It was a pity she couldn't have picked it herself, but Tyron hadn't thought Jane Shepard was the most incognito of names.

But a spy movie feeling had progressed into something just not quite right. Not quite eerie, not quite frightening, but just _off_. As Tyron kept up a steady stream of chatter to maintain a facade of conversation—"Actually, a good ninety percent of our so-called illegal activities are perfectly ethical! It's mostly just importing and exporting pokémon!"—Ree couldn't help glancing around for the source of the feeling. The closest comparison she could think of was the sensation of being watched, but even that was wrong.

"Does this place normally remind you of Silent Hill sans the fog? And where are you taking me, anyway?"

"To see a friend of mine! But also so I could—shit, speak of the—_hide_!" Without any further warning, Tyron pushed her face-first into the nearest open doorway. The curtain swung shut behind them, cutting off most of the light, and as she adjusted to the darkness, he released a pokémon.

The secondary flash of light made Ree just screw her eyes shut and fling out a hand for her loaned pokémon. The sliggoo squealed happily at the contact and she realized, too late, why she had tried to avoid touching it. "What the fuck, dude?!" she hissed and wiped her gooey hand on his jacket.

"Put this on." She reopened her eyes in time to have something jammed onto her head. Ree swiped her bangs out of the way with a huff. Tyron was still standing in front of her, keeping her pinned to the wall, and there was a furry black and red pokémon with cyan eyes behind him. The store owner didn't seem fazed by their odd behavior.

"What. The fuck," she repeated.

"There are some people it'd be safer not to see," he said with a nervous grin. "For you and I both."

"What the hell is on my head?"

"Oh, it's—" he cut himself off as he visibly came to some sort of realization. It was not comforting and she reached up to take the hard hat off, but he seized her hands. "It's to keep psychic pokémon from poking around in your brain."

"So I'm Magneto."

"Yeah! Think of it like that. And we're trading pokémon. Say hello to your new zoroark."

"I thought I was from Kalos."

"They live in the mountains there, I think. Did you want to keep the sliggoo?"

"No thanks, I've had enough pokémon from you. Speaking of, that's why we're here?"

"Five more minutes."

"Fine, but get _off_ me then." She shoved him away and circled around the little shop. It mostly seemed to sell marble-like stones, pricey little things that ultimately seemed useless to her. The zoroark stalked behind her with a mask-like grin, but it seemed to behave itself. And it didn't look particularly gooey.

She was almost out of excitement for the trip. Seeing Tyron spooked made her nervous, although the feeling from before had left her. That, somehow, was more worrying. But she wanted answers, and he owed her information.

"Coast should be clear. Care to get going again?" Tyron asked and extended his hand. She ignored it and marched back out into the street.

"Why did we have to trek down here?" Ree complained.

"I'm not sure where Antoine is these days. I know a few people who'd know, though. And I was hoping you'd see something pretty and I could buy it for you as another apology."

"I don't trust anymore pokémon you throw my way. Trainer gear or GTFO."

"I know a person—!"

"Information. And then I want to go back to Lentimas and figure out my long, boring winter on my own," she snapped.

"I can do that," Tyron said and tried to hold her hand again. She swatted him away and the zoroark snickered. "What if being a couple was part of our cover?"

"Is that so smart for someone who was just trying to hide from their ex-girlfriend?" she retorted and it was worth it for the way he paled.

"You saw her? Did she see you?!"

"Pretty sure she didn't. Looked a little out of your age range, too, kiddo."

"That was... I'll explain after the other stuff." He dropped the flirty pretense and shouldered ahead with a more serious expression. A small part of that concerned her, but it was mostly a welcome reprieve.

Tyron's contact turned out to be a grizzled man easily twice their combined ages, smoking next to a pair of large, immobile green birds. They stared with empty gazes at Ree and she couldn't help but stare back. "What trouble brings you here this time, Tyron?" the man drawled. He didn't sound surprised to see him. "And what will you offer me for my silence?"

"Ta-da!" the blond boy said with a gesture at Ree.

"I'm sorry, what?" she demanded, unable to tear her eyes away.

He pulled the helmet off of her and held it out to the man. "Half-off one of these."

"How generous," the man deadpanned.

"Free if you convert," Tyron said cheerfully.

"I'll pay the full price if you let this girl go after you're done here."

"That's our deal anyway," Ree pointed out.

"You got a deal!" Tyron said anyway. "Ree, this is Red Feather, best psychic tracker I know. Red, this is Ree, damsel in distress on a quest."

"That's, uh, nice. And slightly terrifying. I had no idea there was an actual market for that kind of thing," Ree admitted, uncomfortable with the idea. "And don't call me that."

"I'm not a tracker, and don't call me Red," Red Feather said and sighed, "I just happen to know when and where people will show up. I won't keep tabs on anyone else's life."

"Yeah, 'happen'. As you can see, he's bonded with a pair of xatu. And he's going to do me and the good Lord Arceus a very wonderful favor and tell me what Antoine Pollock has been up to." Tyron even batted his eyes at him.

"Not Kim Evans? She's the one who's looking for you."

"But you would never, _ever_ throw me under the bus, would you, oh darling Red?"

The man responded with a wave of his cigarette. Tyron disappeared. The helmet clattered to the floor and the zoroark behind her growled. Ree hadn't seen either of the xatu move. "Ree, is it?"

"Did you teleport him?" she asked, not sure if she should panic or not.

"He'll be back in a moment. Listen, this kid is young and stupid, but he's a dangerous kind of both of those. Don't let him drag you too far into his messes," Red Feather said seriously. Before she could respond, Tyron reappeared, a gold pokémon, a scowl, and several pounds of snow accompanying him. He shook out his hair and shivered. "Told you not to call me Red. My name is Wáčhiŋhe Lúta and you should be kinder if you're asking for favors, child," the man said easily, as if that hadn't happened.

"I-I can't pronounce that properly," he whined through chattering teeth. Ree covered a laugh with her mitten-hand. It was incredibly cathartic to see him get a comeuppance, even if it wasn't by her. And even if the little shit was annoyingly charming in small doses. "Can you j-just tell me where Antoine Pollock is right now?"

Red Feather lolled his head to the side and took another drag on his cigarette. One of the xatu blinked, slowly. "En route back to Kalos, it seems. I would guess that Kim's got him nervous." He held his hand out for the helmet and Tyron picked it up and placed it carefully in his grasp. "That's all you get, Tyron. You best head on out of here again soon."

"Will do. Thank you. I owe you one."

"Just drop that girl back off outside. Don't you bother her too much more."

Tyron grabbed Ree's hand before she could pull away and led her back down twisting pathways with what seemed to be a genuine grin. The two pokémon followed along behind them. It seemed like an awful lot of preparation and cover for what had amounted to an hour-long trip, but recalling the feeling she'd had at the beginning...

"Hold on!" Tyron all but sang and embraced her without warning. There was a rush of vertigo and they dropped out of the teleport somewhere sunny and _hot_. Ree pushed him away and tugged at her scarf, scanning the area, already beginning to sweat. "That went pretty well, actually! I'm surprised he liked you."

"I can't help but notice that I didn't learn anything except that Antoine Pollock is currently out of the country. Balls, it is hot here. How far south did you take us?" She pulled off her scarf and unzipped her coat, panting.

"I have to make sure we have a little bit of space for the rest of your information. Some of it is a little sensitive, considering current events." Tyron sat down in the grass, cross-legged, still bundled up in his winter gear. Ree shrugged off her coat and sat across from him, but well out of arm's reach. "Okay, so, first off, never ever go there again. If you'd like to buy anything through illicit routes in the future, please contact me and—"

"I have no idea where exactly that was, and I'm _not_ going to have further deals with thieves and poachers if I can help it," Ree interrupted sourly. "This is a necessary evil to obtain some information and context. Nothing else."

"Well... Good!"

The little brat looked annoyingly innocent when he wanted to. She wondered how old he actually was.

"So, the other good news is that your Antoine problem has a pretty high chance of taking care of itself within the next couple months."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a power vacuum right now. He's in the running to take over a lot of businesses and contracts, and the competition is pretty dangerous. It's entirely likely he'll be killed by someone else. So you don't have to bloody your hands."

"I don't mind bloodying my hands. I want to see where that bastard sold my sister's pokémon, and I want to beat his face in myself."

"On that note," Tyron said with a falsely light tone, "you probably shouldn't do that anytime soon. If you move in on him, other people might think _you're_ competition. You don't want to get in the middle of this, trust me. _I'm_ not even in the middle of this. Way above both of our heads, believe me Ree, and way too dark for either of us."

"I don't care what sort of dumb hierarchy you have—"

"It's for everything," he told her flat-out.

"...What?" Ree asked. She tried not to seem surprised.

"The power vacuum's at the top. All Unovan trades, companies, guilds, anyone who doesn't have a big foothold in another region. This guy you're after? He's hot shit, Ree. You may want to let this sort itself out. Without you. You could seriously get hurt in this."

"I made a promise. I have to get my sister's pokémon back," she repeated, stubbornly, but there was doubt niggling in the back of her mind. She knew she was prone to bad decisions and impulsiveness. And danger. And violence. _But Edgar..._

"What sort of pokémon is it? I can start seeing if I could find it."

"A... reuniclus." As much as she distrusted Tyron, what harm could it do to tell him? If he decided to be a huge douche and try to steal Edgar for himself, well, he was a more convenient target than Antoine, anyway.

He nodded seriously, like he'd actually try to help. "Anything to keep you out of this."

She scoffed. "I want a limitless credit card, a heatmor, this asshat's head on a pike, and Scott back."

"You can have me instead," Tyron said just as she belatedly wondered if she shouldn't have mentioned Scott.

"You're a little young for me. And you sort of tried to steal my pokémon. Remember that? Some good fuckin' times there."

"That was a mistake," he replied. The redness of his face made his yellow hair stand out that much more. Tyron had the good sense to keep his eyes averted as he added, "And I'm sorry. Again. I usually, uh, don't do that. Really."

"Really," she repeated, not buying that for a moment. So Antoine was on the way out of the country, he'd likely be killed by someone else, and Tyron may or may not keep an eye out for Edgar. Short of finding Pollock herself, he was far more likely to actually find her sister's pokémon. "So, what happens if Antoine wins?"

"Then expect a lot more _hon hon hon_ pokémon in your future. And possibly unbalancing of ecosystems if it gets too out of hand. He's a fan of stopping the isolationist policies our great country has going on. By force, if necessary."

Ree put an elbow on her knee and chin on her fist. It was still way too hot, even in the shade, but she could get used to not worrying about the snow. Curious and eager to get more information, she asked, "And who is his main competitor? Anyone I can or should get friendly with?"

He paled so fast she'd worried he'd spontaneously bled out or something. Tyron looked up at her, ashen face nearly matching his eyes, and shouted, "_No_!"

"...Uh, okay," Ree replied. Not a reaction she had been expecting. She thought a moment, trying to recall the name Red Feather had dropped. "...So, her name is Kim?"

"Don't get anywhere near her! She's bad news, the worst, Arceus-damned for sure!"

"Calm down, don't get a nosebleed."

"Ree, you have to promise me you won't go anywhere near Kim Evans!" Tyron insisted, seizing her by the shoulders.

She brushed him off with a hard look. "I don't owe you shit."

"She's bad," he nearly pleaded, sounding genuinely upset. "She's not a poacher or even a hunter. She's a mercenary, the kind that kills people. Assassination plots and contracts and blood _all_ over her hands!"

"Get off of me. What makes her so bad that she can give Antoine a run for his money?"

Tyron sat back on his haunches and fiddled with the collar-like necklace he wore. Ree glanced down at the glimmer of gold as the light hit it. Vaguely familiar. "She has strong international ties. Er, had. She—she sort of caused all of this. The last big boss in Unova was her and her brother, but her brother died in the Sinnoh stuff, and she got knocked down a few pegs by the Plasma stuff. She's done such horrible things to try to claw her way back up. She's probably going to end up killing Antoine soon. And that's why you don't want to get between her and him."

"Exciting," she drawled. She wasn't sure she bought it all, but honestly? It didn't interest her that much. Politics, especially shadow politics, wasn't her thing. Antoine Pollock was a cut and dried target. She wasn't about to immerse herself in a landscape of bullshit she knew little about to get to one man. Deadly bullshit at that.

"Please promise me you'll stay out of this," Tyron begged, hands clasped on his necklace. He sounded close to tears.

_Is he serious about this?_ Ree thought, frowning. "Girl scout promise." She had never been in the scouts.

"Promise to Lord Arceus that you will. I don't want to see you get hurt."

She wasn't sure which was funnier—that he was consistently religious or that he didn't seem to recall that _he_ had hurt her. But she wasn't religious, either, so she chewed on her cheek to hide a grin and grit out, "Promise on the lord."

Tyron let out a sigh of pure relief. She honestly had to hide a snicker. She couldn't believe such a little shit—poacher at best, thief at worst, asshole all around—was so religious. And a foreign god, no less. "Thank you. Is there anything else you wanted to know?"

She held up her bandaged hands, eyebrows raised as high as possible to accurately convey her incredulity. Oh no, he was not sidestepping that one.

He, again, had the sense to look ashamed. "I had thought he would come after me. That's why I wanted to sell the mienfoo so fast."

"Her name is Marcella now," Ree grumbled.

"A pretty name. It fits her!"

"Less flattery, more talky."

Tyron's grin dimmed and he averted his eyes again. He was messing with his necklace again, flicking the charm, and she leaned in a little, trying to figure out what it was. Something about it said _religious_ to her but she couldn't place the symbol. Was it related to that arceus thing? "So, it's just what I told you. I caught her about two or three weeks before I met you. From the wild. Legally."

"Right." The fact that he had to emphasize that last part spoke more than he knew.

"I needed a fighting pokémon for something specific, and, well, she was in the area. A matter of convenience really. A-And I'm sure you realized that I dyed her to pass her off as shiny, when I was going to sell her—"

"The metal nightmare pokémon now, if you'd fuckin' please," Ree interrupted.

He tittered nervously and looked in the other direction, still avoiding her glower. "It was just what it sounds like. Probably. She's a fighting pokémon, and pawniard are dark and steel types. She breezed through them, that's all I needed."

"And _why_ did you want to beat up a _lot_ of those things? One was plenty!"

"They live in extended family groups with their three leaders at the top. Their evolved form. And the little ones are _veeeeery_ loyal. You can't get to the bisharp without fighting through a _lot_ of pawniard, and you can imagine that I wanted it to be as easy as possible with dozens of those things coming at me, right?" he asked, and there was something in his voice that screamed _please accept this_.

Ree narrowed her eyes and intensified her glare. He jumped and all but twisted away from her to avoid it. "And so you have a little hoard of revenge monsters coming after you because of this? Because you—oh, _shit_." The realization crashed down on her all at once. Tyron hadn't stolen him from or killed his trainer. Ororin had meant actual leader. He was still a wild pokémon and loyal to a missing leader, or parent, or whatever they were. "You stole these things' _parents_?"

"Uh, technically, only to some of them—?"

"I was going to bargain with that thing! I was going to try to get him a new trainer—and it probably would have thought I was trying to steal him, too! That little fucking metal monster almost sliced my head off! And now you're telling me there's an entire clan of these little screechy things?!"

"No! Nonononono, Ree, that one is the only one who will come after you! And I'll make sure he stops! He should be coming for me, next, anyway!" Tyron exclaimed.

"So he wanted revenge on Marcella because she's the pokémon you used. And now..." And now she was literally scarred for life. Ree scrubbed at her eyes, cursing her pregnancy hormones, and realized then, too, why Ororin had targeted her reproductive organs. It was just a mirror of what she had helped do.

Ree nearly punched him when she felt Tyron's tentative touch on her arm. Most of it was on reflex, but she was still furious underneath that. The boy scrambled away from her, hands up, head ducked, looking ten kinds of embarrassed and cowed. He was either very, very good at facial expressions or was stupidly earnest when not a thieving shit. Both options were irritating.

"Do you have any other questions?" Tyron asked in a small voice.

She wanted to hit him, but when he was making such a pathetic target of himself, even she felt bad. "Give me your phone number in case I have more."

He brightened like an excited lillipup. She shoved him back down onto the grass when he came too close and tapped his number into her phone, making a point to not give him hers. Too many people already had her number.

Actually, speaking of... "Maria Delgado."

"Hm?"

"Do you know of anyone in the underground scene by that name?"

"If you're looking for a friend, she probably swapped names."

"Dark hair, dark slanted eyes, heavier, shorter. Has a mean sense of humor and a mouth like mine. I..." She didn't actually know what pokémon Maria had, outside of Tranjero. She faintly recalled discussing pokémon, but had she actually met any? "I don't know what pokémon she has. She's, uh, ex-UFO."

"Doesn't sound familiar, but do you want me to look for her?" Tyron asked like he was offering to help Ree look for her lost keys.

"No, nevermind. It doesn't really matter."

"Where would you like to be dropped off?" he asked, changing the subject and catching her off guard.

Ree looked around at the sunshine and grass and beautiful lack of snow. "I guess there's something to be said for the snow birds who head south..." Castelia never got much snow that stuck for long. But that was too close to home, to Scott and her parents and Kev. Nimbasa was out of the question. She wanted some place she could still train, though, but didn't want to deal with many people. "...The desert, isn't there a resort type place there?"

"That's definitely not snowy," Tyron agreed, smiling. She huffed at him. "Do you need anything else?"

"What if I said I wasn't joking about the credit card?"

"I don't work with cards very often but I can give you cash," he replied simply.

"Right." She didn't feel the least bit of guilt for holding out her mitten-hand. "Fork it over then. Call this a robbery."

He laughed at that. She wanted to hit him again, but he was digging around in his pockets. He pulled out a beat-up wallet, and from that, a hefty wad of bills.

She only kicked him after that. Not as hard as she would've otherwise.

"Nicest robbery I've had in awhile," he said sunnily. "But promise me this is the only kind you partake in. Unless you wanted to steal a kiss—"

"Joke's over. How far are we from the desert place?" Ree said and stood up, dusting off grass from her pants. She felt too-warm, even with her scarf and coat off. She'd have to adjust her wardrobe again, but that was easier than winter gear.

Tyron actually _giggled_ and quickly tried to hide the sound behind his hand.

Hands on her hips, she leveled a glare at him again. His smile only faltered a little. "Tyron, _where_ exactly are we...?"

"Ever wanted to see Hoenn?"

Ree actually punched him after that. She drew back immediately, hissing in pain, shaking out her poor hands. Tyron tried to hold them, maybe to inspect them, but she kicked his shin when he neared her again. "Take me the fuck home right now. And if, for some reason I see you again and you teleport me, you _ever_ take me out of the country again—"

"Going home! Right! Desert resort, here we come!" he squeaked, quailing under her rage, and released his golden pokémon again. It offered its spoon to Ree and she grudgingly took it. Better than having him hug her again.

-.-.-

Ree reclined in the chair in her room, feet propped up on the edge of the bed, and alternated between counting money and watching Whippy and Unika squeal out the window. Dealing with Tyron had left a bad taste in her mouth, even if he bent over backwards to please her. But she'd gotten cash, ended up in warmer climes, and she and her pokémon were settled comfortably into the small pokémon center in the resort. While many trainers fled south to avoid the winter, the desert was still an unpopular choice for an extended stay.

"We'll be training on wild pokémon around here for awhile. Dunno how long," Ree called, eyes still on the bills in her mitten-hands. Harper tweeted a vague agreement. She was perched on the other corner of the bed, eyes closed and head halfway tucked under her wing. Marcella was napping on the pillows. Ree couldn't look at her for very long without feeling sick about it.

So Marcella had been used as a weapon. In some sense, she had already known that. But an entire clan of pokémon...? That was a lot to fight through, even with an advantage. And now, despite being away from Tyron, she still had revenge sworn upon her by one of the pawniard. And she and Ree had paid the price.

"Unika, you'll be pulling double time. We're down Lala and Marcella's on bed rest, so—"

A grumpy sound from the pillows startled Ree.

She stared at her mienfoo. "Did you just... _growl_ at me?"

"Foo," she mumbled and burrowed deeper into the pillows.

"You're going to be resting. A lot."

The pink and cream tail poking out from the pile lashed, annoyed.

"Tyyyyyy!" Unika screeched, potentially to the rescue. Her noise calmed the angry tail, though Harper snagged her before she could swim over to her. Whippy made a breathy laugh sound, like he was trying doubly to avoid hissing.

"Unika, I want an evolution out of you before our next gym," Ree said calmly and looked away from her starter. Tyron had had more cash than she'd anticipated. Happy birthday to someone, she supposed. Too early for Christmas, but getting closer.

"Quill," Harper murmured and tucked her head under her wing again. Unika dejectedly wiggled over to the window again.

"Harpy, Whippy's ahead of you again, too," Ree said sweetly. Her tranquill started and stared up at her with wide eyes and an open beak. The serperior snickered, ducking his head low to try to hide it in his belly. It was obvious he was adjusting to a different amount of limbs than he was used to. "We're down Lala and Marcella—for the time being. We're in warmer weather now, since I don't want you or he dealing with more cold until we have to, so now's your chance to strut your stuff for Uni."

And she wanted to put some distance between her and where they'd last seen Ororin.

"Whoever evolves first gets an extra serving of puffs," she added, and that was that. Even docile and dignified Harper liked the treats, with the added bonus of her wanting to keep Unika from a sugar high.

Whippy whined, aghast, and rested his large head on her lap. He tried slithering onto her, but Ree winced and he caught it. "Ser," he mumbled, despondent, and she scratched him between his ear-things. While she was used to serperior in general due to Bo, losing her tiny and carry-able Whippy was another thing entirely.

"I'll buy you so many poké puffs you will lose another tooth," she cooed. "But only if you go back and let me record your evolution this time."

"Rii-_ii_," he complained, and she had to laugh. It sounded just like her name. He perked up, raising his head, and repeated, "Rii."

"Oh, you figured out it sounds like Ree?" she asked with a grin. He nodded with his own and she scratched him under the chin. He preened, liking that especially, now that she wasn't sure where his throat ended and the rest of him began. Having a giant, long, serpenty thing was going to take some getting used to.

She wanted to thank him for beating the pawniard. But she wasn't sure how to articulate it, and it felt a little weird, thanking her starter for something like that. And whenever she'd given him a look like she was mustering up the courage to talk about it, he'd just try to hide under the bed. He'd only succeeded once, and he had lifted the bed a good couple inches in the process.

"Oh, god, how are we going to wash you? What are we going to _feed_ you?" The nurse at the desk had already had her filling out paperwork about the next size class of pokémon, but lucky Ree got out of doing extra work because of her injured hands.

"Rioriiiii," he answered smugly.

"You're just going to have to never get messy again." That would last exactly one trip to the mess hall. Oh no, she was going to have to fish an entire serperior out of the syrup. Heaven forbid they had anything sweeter.

Ree looked up from scratching her starter to the lump under the pillows. She hadn't spoken to Marcella about her trip with Tyron or, well, much of anything after the attack. She wasn't sure how to broach that. She couldn't talk to Unika about her illness, she couldn't talk to Marcella about her injury. But the latter had the added bonus of the thing growing in her belly to add to the awkward guilt.

"You know what? I think they have a spa here!" Ree said, perhaps a little too loud, and certainly the cheer was too forced. "It's the off season for vacations, so maybe we should pamper ourselves a little. And show off my rocking bikini body, yeah, that's going to look... Okay, I just made myself sick thinking about it."

"Tranquill-quill," Harper replied.

"Your flattery is doing nothing for my stomach. In either sense." The baby bump was definitely growing. Soon, not even her baggy hoodie would hide it. And her winter coat was useless in the relative heat. She was certain the first time a stranger asked about her pregnancy she was going to deck them and burst into tears. Maybe not in that order.

Marcella peeked out from between the pillows and Ree's stomach definitely flopped over. She barely made it to the bathroom in time to puke into the toilet.

She heard more than saw Whippy try to follow her in, but he was too large to fit completely in the bathroom. Unika made distressed noises and Ree looked up long enough to catch Harper trying to calm her down. And she caught sight of Marcella sitting completely up out of the pillow pile, ears perked, brow furrowed with worry. Ree groaned and heaved again, though nothing else came up.

She blinked her suddenly wet eyes. It was surely just the burning in her throat and nose that caused that. "Great, now I'm hungry again."

"Rii?" Whippy asked in concern, coiling as much as he could into the small bathroom.

"One day, after I give birth to this _thing_ and I'm normal again, you're going to have a trainer who doesn't throw up or cry at every little thing." It would be a glorious time. And it was also admitting aloud that she would still _be_ a trainer post-pregnancy. Ree already knew she was terribly attached to her pokémon, but continuing training... The thought was slightly more of a comfort than a dread lately. At least something would remain stable.

Ree got into the shower, bandages on her hands covered in gross waterproofed gel, and Whippy tried to follow her in. He ended up half-sitting in there with her, keeping the curtain open, and she had to crowd right under the faucet and repeatedly bump her head against it. Unika tried to join them, but Ree's scream of panic kept her out. Bonding time with the tynamo could happen when water was _not_ involved, thank you.

They went down to the little dining hall. Ree handed in her paperwork on the way, stomach growling. How long would her hands take to heal? She hoped they had something that didn't require spoons or forks. Maybe Harper would feed her if she made enough sad sounds.

The smell of food inside made her stomach growl all that much harder. But there was something sweeter underneath that—and she saw that the buffet's dessert section was a bunch of assorted cakes.

Ree begged him not to. But she couldn't stop a serperior as easily as a servine. In fact, even throwing her entire weight onto him, he just dragged her along like she was on a kiddie ride. What a sight they must have made: a laugh-crying teenage girl, a tranquill, and a bandaged mienfoo all riding on a serperior like a train ride.

After he had devoured all of the cakes, half the roast, and a third of the pokémon food, Ree was ordered back to her room. They would deliver food she ordered from then on. The fine was reasonable, even, but probably because of how hard she was crying (with laughter, maybe) when they found her, still laying on his back.

-.-.-

Ree forced herself and her team into a routine. They would wake up early, before it got hot outside (having it be _hot_ outside in December still threw her off whenever she thought about it), and go pick on the wild pokémon. There were a lot of ground pokémon that Whippy or Harper had to practice on, even if they were the strongest pokémon in the area, but plenty of things Unika could still zap. Marcella stood by Ree's side, moving gingerly, expression impassive. Ree hoped she was enjoying the outside air, at least.

They'd eat the lunch that was brought to their room, take a nap after the meal, and later scour the resort for trainers who weren't scared to battle them. It took an impressively short amount of time for Ree's reputation to precede her. Even with the quiet, bandaged mienfoo at her side, trainers were scared by a serperior.

That wasn't to say that they were the biggest herdier around. On their third day there, Ree accidentally challenged someone that she found out, afterward, was on vacation after an elite four attempt. Whippy and Unika managed to take down his swanna between them, but that was it.

But overall, they had a routine, and she stuck to it. Unika was getting very good at spotting sandile and hiding from them. Her high mood made getting her excited for battling a breeze, although she took orders as well as any of her teammates. Ree just knew it wouldn't last, and she didn't look forward to that other shoe dropping.

A week and a half before Christmas, their routine was abruptly upset. And it hadn't been by Uni.

Harper had been lazily circling around a sigilyph, herding it back to the tynamo for her to shock, when it charged at her. She squawked and batted it back with her wings on reflex. The already injured pokémon fainted (Unika crying out in dismay at her stolen win), and a very surprised Harper promptly evolved.

Ree dropped the fruity vacation drink she'd been holding. Marcella caught it for her. "Oh my shit. Harper—you did not just—I didn't know you were close!"

"...Fezzz?" Still with wide eyes, Harper landed on the ground with a thump. She had almost doubled in size, plumage growing darker and more naturally colored, legs longer than ever. She spread her wings experimentally and accidentally backhanded a curious Whippy.

"I wanted to record that! You fucking evolved and—and I _need_ to record at least one evolution!" Ree demanded, stomping her foot. She looked between her two biggest pokémon. The serperior whined at his bruised snout and Harper continued to stare at her much larger wings.

She didn't realize Unika had burrowed into her shirt until she turned around, looking for her. Her static made her fingers through the bandages go numb before she could fish her back out. "Tyyyyyyy!"

"Fez-zant," Harper said, voice low and soothing. Unika peered suspiciously at her from over Ree's hand.

"Unika. Uni. Look at me."

The tynamo twisted in midair, mouth clamped shut in a pout.

"You tell me when you're about to evolve, okay? You'll probably feel weird or something. I don't know how it works, but you fucking tell me."

"Seeeeeeer," Whippy said, tail gesturing in a vague manner.

"Un," Harper agreed with a shrug.

"You two are done!" Ree snapped, betrayed. She looked down at Unika with her sweetest smile. "Uni, baby, just tell mommy Ree when you're about to evolve so she can record it on her phone, okay?"

"Mo," she replied petulantly.

"If you do it, I'll give you as many poké puffs as you want."

Starry-eyed, the little electric pokémon bobbed up and down with the force of her nodding. Whippy whined again, doing a stunning impression of a sad lillipup, even with his new size.

Ree ended up having to buy them all puffs to keep them quiet. And she supposed Harper deserved her treat. It had been so low-key, so unlike Whippy's last evolution, but she hadn't been that far behind. So her team consisted of two large, fully evolved pokémon, and two small, unevolved ones. It would work, for now.

While Whippy and Harper inhaled her savings in poké puff form, Ree tried to teach Unika how to do the chestburster thing out of a puff. It mostly ended up with her covered in frosting. Whippy licked her off, despite her squealing and sparking.

Word traveled fast in the resort. Walking around the few shops with an unfezant on a serperior, both of them licking frosting off their mouths, also ruined the surprise. By sundown that day, only the couple of trainers who were thoroughly stronger than her would battle her, and those just resulted in curb-stomps, even with Harper's boost in strength. After another two days of that, and she gave up on trained battles.

They continued getting up early, Unika continued battling everything non-sandile that moved, and Ree continued getting dirty looks from the rest of the center staff. She now had two large pokémon and with her hands, she couldn't volunteer to help them. It didn't make her stay the most hospitable.

Worst of all, with only weak wild pokémon to track down, Ree was getting _bored_. Whippy was happy in the relative heat and Harper continued helping Unika (though more wild pokémon fled outright when they saw a huge bird bear down on them) and Marcella continued biding her time with stretches and careful movements. They needed new blood to battle. They needed excitement, not routine. They were learning more than they ever wanted to know about the most efficient ways to corner and dispatch darumaka and sigilyph.

She thought she'd cure her boredom by her normal route: video games. With Tyron's money, she bought a new handheld and a copy of a particularly yellow game that reminded her faintly of Scott (and Kev). They spent more time outside, trying to find more pokémon to keep up with their training, and Ree and Marcella would hunker down and lean over the little device while the other three did their thing. Ree told herself that she trusted their methods. Mostly, she knew they barely listened to her and she was bored out of her mind.

_Persona 4 Golden_ turned out to be more than faintly Scott-esque; it was everything he liked in a game. Bright colors and dungeon crawler and school simulator and cutesy character designs. It was agonizingly routine, too, even if it dunked her right into a murder mystery. She would have regretted buying it if she hadn't been masochistically attached to it and the Scott feelings it brought her.

After she failed her first in-game finals, where she actually had to _take_ the goddamned tests, Ree had enough. She was bored, she was frustrated with her game, and training off of weak wild pokémon wasn't good enough for Unika. They needed trainers who weren't scared shitless of her. They needed crowds and actual buildings and a staff who didn't hate her and a wide pool of suckers and someone who wasn't Scott who could help her figure out how to play the game right.

"Pack up, team, we're moving out."

"Rii?" Whippy asked, arching over where she was throwing her clothes into her bag.

"We're going back to Castelia. Get ready to brave the desert, because it's the last heat you'll be getting for awhile."

-.-.-

**Next Chapter**: Ree finally buys that fruit basket. It's a metaphor but it's mostly not.


End file.
